Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; May 13, 2014)

Rhea Pillai’s ongoing tussle with Leander Paes over the custody of their eight-yearold daughter Aiyana is far from over. The socialite, who has been in a relationship with the tennis ace for nearly a decade, is getting ready to file her petition in court.

 Last week, when Rhea allegedly found herself locked out of her own home, she felt completely helpless. It was at this juncture that her close friend Gauri Khan stepped in to help. Rhea admitted to us that had Gauri not come, she may never have found her voice in public. Or for that matter, with the cops. After lodging a complaint at the Bandra police station, Mrs Shah Rukh Khan went home with her and made sure she was ensconced safely.

 Says Rhea, “I called up my friend Kajal (Anand), who contacted another mutual close friend Avanti. Both of them live in town and it would have taken them at least 45 minutes to reach me. Gauri said she is coming right away and was at the police station, along with her bodyguards, within five minutes. Later, when she walked into the house, Leander got a little nervous because he is very particular about his image. He got affected because Gauri would see what is going on in the house.”