Let's take it from the day you met Brent?
Sure.
I met him on a holiday in Las Vegas. We were attracted to each other almost
instantly. I went to Las Vegas again after a month to meet him and he suggested
that I should meet his parents. Very manly gesture, I had never been to a boy's
house and trust me, it was a wonderful experience. Above all, it gave out a
loud and clear message that Brent was serious about me.
And then?
His mother suggested that he should move to India to know
me and the country better, if this needed to work out. After 35 days of me
flying back to India, he joined me here.
And you too made him made him meet your parents?
Oh yeah. 5 minutes with them, and he had become the apple
of their eye.
But weren't they wary? He is not from India, they
couldn't obviously find much about him...
Yes, but as I said they loved him instantly and knew that
their daughter had made the right choice.
Aashka Goradia
And now? Where will you stay?
Well, we will shuttle between India and the US. But I am
going to be very much around for all my assignments and stay in India as and
when I am required. So you can say, we have decided not be firm at any
destination. We'll take it as it goes.
What does Brent do for a living?
He is a weapons instructor. He is into realty as well. Right now he is looking into
SME investments, he is setting it up for obtaining citizenship here.
Brent Goble
Parental resistance when Brent moved in here to stay with you? I mean, you'll
had a live-in relationship for nearly a year...
Hmmm, I have been living alone for 16 years, and so that was not a call that my
parents were going to take. So, there was no 'OMG! What are you doing, Aashka?'
What do you like most about him?
I like his decisiveness, he is very sure and clear what he wants in his life.
Isn't that trait which every woman looks in a man?
Aashka Goradia And Brent
Anything you want to change in him?
Nothing. He is not even hot-tempered. He is not judgmental. He has practised
yoga for 12 years. He knows how to control his moods and knows how to
channelise his energies.
Anything he wants to change in you?
Be on time! (laughs)! I am just not very punctual, for him 12 means 12 and
not 12:05 (pauses).
Go on...
I don't think two people get together to change each other. They accept each
other's virtues and ignore each other's flaws and try to hold their capacity to
love each other. Rest of course is destiny.
Your most romantic moment with him?
It happened in Colarado, when he went down on his knees
to propose to me. He picked up lines from Melluha, my favourite book--- and
said a few lines interspersing them with names all the important people in my
life.That shows how well he has accepted not just me but all those who matter
to me.
Aashka Goradia
Here boys don't want to give their gym time to their wife, and this man is not
rigid- he is ready to change his eating habits live in a different climate,
learn new languages. In fact, he has already started sacrificing so much in
order to adjust here. Actually, kaafi changes aa bhi gaye hain. Recently we
went to the US for a month and he yearned for sabzi, roti and dal over there.
He has hired a Hindi tutor and learning the language quite well.
Aashka Goradia And Brent Goble
It's not difficult for him to change but of course it's a big challenge. Here,
there's so much of a girl-boy thing that is so widely prevalent. A man gets
miffed if asked to give his gym time to his ladylove and the other way round,
the woman gets miffed to give her salon/spa time to him.
Aashka Goradia
Shaadi ki shopping kahan se ki?
Mostly from Mumbai.
Honeymoon?
(Laughs) Maybe New Zealand.
Babies?
Aisi bhi kya jaldi hai? Let's enjoy our marriage.
Did you get to hear comments like: He is not Indian, he might not marry you, be
watchful...
Nahin, woh sawaal hi paida nahi hua na. As I told you, I
had met his parents almost from the word 'Go'. His family's values are very
high, let me add that. they are very progressive and have no problems with my
acting career too. In fact, my mother-in-law has told Brent to support me in my
work. I love her immensely, and of course his son too (laughs).
You know what? Out abroad, they don't even think about
such things- lekin yahan zaroor hai aise sawaal jo kuch logon ke mann mein
uthte rehte hain. So, people may have thought but nobody told me on my face.
Aashka Goradia And Brent Goble
Our individuality is not strong. We are influenced very easily by whatever goes
around us. We don't try to break free. We keep saying that we want to be
out-of-the-box but our surroundings are such that people are judging you
constantly, it has got into our blood and veins and we also keep judging
people. Add this to the way how we are handling social media, everyone wants to
have the last word, this whole game of one-upmanship must end.
Aashka Goradia
Let's take our phone habits. We expect every call of ours to be answered. If it
is not, we think the other person has committed a crime. We hound people on the
phone with not just calls but WhatsApp and SMS too. You and I want to break
free alright, but it's a long drawn out battle lying ahead of us. Now, let me
go!
Aashka Goradia And Brent Goble
So, you mean there are no cons abroad?
Of course there are. Hamare yahan akelapan nahin hai, there almost every
person is eating alone in a restaurant and that tells you one of their stories-
people are lonely out there. So wahan bhi kaafi cheezen hain which you and I
might not like. Like, here's one more--- there, nobody has time for anybody.
Jahan insaan honge wahan problems zaroor honge.
But as I said, let's accept our virtues and ignore our flaws to get together.
Then there'll be so much love around us, and not hatred.
Let me go now, please (laughs)!
Thank you Aashka for talking to us, so much at length.
Wish you a 'Long, Happy Married Life'...
Thank you so much. We will catch up again, soon.
Image Source: Instagram/a