In her first interview since the pregnancy announcement, Neha reveals why she kept the good news under wraps for long
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 21, 2018)

It is only while she is attending to her fourth commitment of the day that we manage to steal some time with Neha Dhupia. Currently in her final trimester, the mommy-to-be vows to be on her feet till she goes into labour. "I don't want a maternity break. It's not that I am against women who decide to take those months off. It's my choice; it doesn't amount to saying that those who decide to take time off should be looked down upon," says Dhupia, who has been effortlessly dividing her time between her radio show, promotions for Helicopter Eela and her fashion-based television show.

While murmurs of the couple going in the family way were heard soon after she tied the knot with Angad Bedi in May, the two announced the good news only last month. Quiz her on the reluctance to open up about her pregnancy earlier, and she says the demands of her profession played a role in her decision. "I didn't want to tell people that I was pregnant for a large part of these nine months because I didn't want people's attitude towards me to change. I was worried people would stop offering work. It was a good thing my bump wasn't showing till the sixth month because appearances matter here, and one might be assumed to be unfit for a job. Fortunately, my energy levels are high. I did Eela and Styled By Neha through my pregnancy."

The romantic in her comes to the fore when the talk veers towards her "best friend" and husband. "I feel at home finally. When I have nightmares and wake up to his face, I am immediately at peace," she gushes, before quipping, "He is the best dad-in-the-making, but I'm worried what will happen when he and the baby gang up on me."