“I just couldn’t afford a longer holiday,” laughs television’s strongest female icon after a long and serious illness. Reliving the nightmare Smriti Iraani says, “I started getting high fever in the last week of October. I kept treating it as any viral fever…until I went to Bhavnagar to perform my play. My fever shot up, and I returned to the hotel shivering. That’s when doctors diagnosed dengue and typhoid combined. Even my illnesses are so grand!” she jokes.

On November 4, Smriti was admitted to hospital. After seven days of enforced rest in hospital, Smriti returned home, only to pull off the intravenous drips and get back to work. “The doctors advised me a month of rest. But what to do? I’ve two serials on air. Plus I’ve just started my production house which needs full attention. In fact, I kept having my meetings in hospital. But we couldn’t shoot my soaps from my hospital bed. The weekly soap, Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasmaan could manage because we had a bank of episodes. But the daily Kyunki... Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi... was in the deep end.”

Ekta Kapoor managed to keep the show going by focusing on Hiten Tejwani and Gauri Pradhan’s tracks in the plot. “But I couldn’t delay any longer,” says Smriti. “See, a serial isn’t just the production company’s responsibility. It’s also my lookout. If Kyunki… suffered so did I. I had to get back to work because I’m a workaholic. Besides, I couldn’t have my children see me lying around helplessly. My son was specially disturbed. He kept asking, ‘Why does Mama have all those needles sticking into her?’ In hospital I missed my kids the most. I had no opportunity to miss my husband. Zubin was with me throughout.”

The one thing that Smriti realised during her illness was that she needed to make time for her husband. “We’re so busy giving ourselves to our work, kids and family that we don’t realise we’re never together. This illness made me realise there’s more to my life than my work. I’ve decided to take at least one holiday with my husband every year.”

She sighs, “I’m just back on my feet, busy counting my blessings. I’ve a good career, a wonderful family and husband. It’s a good life.