First spotted in Mahesh Bhatt?s television soap Swabhimaan, actor Rajiv Paul has since gone on to become a familiar face on the small-screen courtesy such serials as Parivartan, Kitty Party and Bhabhi. Playing negative roles on the small screen has been his forte and his biggest turning point came when Ekta Kapoor offered him a role in the serial Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii. From then on, there has been no looking back for this talented actor, who?s always considered acting a passion. A self-confessed workaholic, Rajiv was born and brought up in Ajmer and hails from an army family.

Sweet, bubbly and vivacious ? that?s actress Delnaz for you. Supporting her husband all the way, Delnaz, too, has carved a niche for herself in the television industry with serials like Ashirwad, Yes Boss, Shadi No 1 and Sonpadi to her credit. She also made her mark playing Preity Zinta?s friend in Karan Johar?s blockbuster, Kal Ho Na Ho, and is now looking forward to her next film, Milenge Milenge, directed by Satish Kaushik. Married for almost eight years now, both Rajiv and Delnaz insist that they complement each other perfectly, both in terms of work and their personal life.

RAJIV ON DELNAZ

I have always believed in the meeting of souls and when Delnaz and I met, it happened exactly like that. The first time we came across each other was on the sets of Parivartan where sparks flew and we soon became fast friends. What struck me most about Delnaz was that she was extremely honest about her feelings and very humble to boot. Even today, she is very simple and unaffected by the glitz and glamour of the industry of which we are a part. It?s been almost eight years now that we have known each other and we have reached a stage, where more than love, it?s the companionship that we treasure the most.

Though Delnaz is very simple, yet it?s very hard to convince her to do anything she doesn?t want to. I remember after our marriage, I wanted to have a dog at home as I am very fond of animals. It took several years to convince her that having a dog is a great way of keeping the house safe and secure. Today, our dog whom Delnaz lovingly calls Gabbar Singh, is her best friend and when she returns home every day, he loves to play with her.

Like any other couple, we fight a lot and after a certain point, forget about it. I must admit that in this case, my wife takes the lead. She is a child at heart and extremely undiplomatic ? she just blurts out whatever?s on her mind. She is also very sensitive to people around her and it is this, along with her intelligence, that is reflected on-screen. We have a very open relationship and it is trust that keeps our marriage alive. We know each other very well and it is her honesty that makes things so special.

Being married and in the same profession has been a wonderful experience for us. The secret behind our success as a couple, has been the art of time-management. Whenever we get time, we go out for drives or plan holidays. And since we stay alone in Mumbai, we have to fend for ourselves. Occasionally, I also pamper Delnaz by cooking a meal for her since she doesn?t know how to cook. Our biggest strength lies in the fact that we have always stood by each other through the good times and the bad.

DELNAZ ON RAJIV

When Rajiv and I met on the sets of Parivartan in 1993, I found my partner for life. Though I didn?t like my role and walked out of the serial after just three days, the two of us stayed in touch. Gradually, we realised that we were made for each other and over time, decided to get married. Our relationship had to pass through turbulent times as my parents were opposed to the match as Rajiv was a Punjabi. Being a Parsi, they wanted me to settle down with a boy from our community. Things got so bad that finally we decided to get married in June 1996, despite parental opposition.

Both of us had to struggle immensely in the initial stages of our marriage. At that time, I had just started acting and so had Rajiv. We were newcomers in this field, with nobody to guide us and show us the way. But slowly, things started looking up and we achieved name and fame in this line. For me, keeping things running smoothly on both the career and domestic fronts proved to be immensely stressful. But things eased out and for this, I am grateful to Rajiv whom I consider my pillar of strength. Staying together and working together has given a new meaning to our life as we can discuss almost everything. He also advises me on the kind of work I should take up and pinpoints where I am going wrong.

Rajiv is the balancing factor in my life. I may be working in serials but it is my husband who decides on behalf of me. He is also extremely practical and takes decisions instantly. Over the years, I have learnt from him the importance of keeping calm and not letting things get to me easily.

Rajiv is a very controlled and straight-forward person. But like all men, he too is very forgetful in nature and keeps losing things. He is also very unromantic at times because he doesn?t like surprises and hates gifts. Whenever he has to buy any gifts for me, he usually calls me up about 10 times from the shop, describing the item. This goes on and on till I lose interest in it altogether.

Since both of us have to be out for most of the time, we try to keep things organised whenever we have off-days. Both of us have one thing in common ? we like to socialise a lot and make friends. I am also thankful to his parents for having supported me in the beginning because they too wanted me to flourish as an actress. I am lucky to be married into such a family. For me, love is belonging to each other and I am always there for Rajiv in his moments of glory as he is for mine.