Letting her hair down

Letting her hair down

My idea of a perfect weekend is to spend time with loved ones, away from the city and embrace nature without any contact with the social media. There are versions of this ‘dream weekend’ that I do get to enjoy but it doesn’t last too long.

Now that I am working on a daily soap opera, I honestly don’t differentiate weekdays and weekends. We are shooting through the day and night; the day the director decides that we are not shooting is my day off.

I am a traveller and I love exploring new places when I have a couple of days off. My boyfriend, Abhinav Shukla, and my friends are very adventurous people. Abhinav has trekked across the country and he always teaches me a thing or two when we are out. Thanks to him, trekking has become a part of my weekend trips; finding a new place to trek has become a monthly agenda. It helps me detox both mentally and spiritually.

If I have a couple more days off, I plan a trip abroad with my girlfriends. I recently went to Europe with three friends. It was a great trip as we visited the local places and learnt a lot about the lifestyle there.

When I am not out with my friends, I love spending time at home and cooking. I make my own pizzas from scratch. Mushroom and potato recipes are also my favourites. Abhinav and I don’t usually go out to restaurants because we are health conscious. We like making our food at home, using gluten-free and healthy items. I don’t find a reason to have ‘cheat days’ as I am happy with what I am eating.

I also experiment with baking recipes. It is a fantastic stress buster. Though I don’t have a particular chef or cook that I draw inspiration from, because I like to keep fit, I always look for healthier substitutes for the recipes. I know I can enjoy a good dessert without having to crunch some weights right after!

Listening to music is also one of the ways I unwind. Depending on my mood, I listen to everything from instrumentals to dance numbers to Bollywood music. I enjoy everything except trans music. Dancing also helps me unwind.

I have a Shih Tzu named Romeo. I love spending time with him, brushing his fur and hanging out at home with him. Whenever I come back home, he welcomes me and plays with me for about five minutes before he runs back to his corner. He usually sits by my side when I am working; we enjoy the quiet time with each other.

When we have a couple of days off, Abhinav and I do some craft work at home. He is usually the mastermind of the project and I just help out sticking and painting something on it. I always learn something when I’m with him.

Since I work for about 12 hours a day, I enjoy the ‘me’ time I get. That’s when I head to the spa or go for a swim. Working out is not an extra activity for me as it has become a part of my daily routine. I’ve realised that it keeps me energised once I’m back at work. It’s a practice that I never want to give up.

My parents live in Shimla. They come to Mumbai every couple of months and spend time with me. My sisters, when they are not too busy with their lives, also come and stay with me. I visit home once a year and enjoy my time away from the city.

I’ve become used to a lifestyle that involves working during the weekend. But I make sure to be productive on my day off as well. That’s what makes the work you are doing seem perfect. You have to feel relaxed before you have to head back to work the next day.

(As told to Anila Kurian)