For Zareen Khan, 2021 has been a “terrible” year. The actor lost her maternal grandfather and her mother has been “in and out of hospitals”. “There was a time I thought I’d lose her,” says Khan, adding, “I can’t wait for this year to end.”

However, the silver lining to the year for her was when she met businessman Shivashish Mishra, who also appeared on a reality show. Rumours of the two dating have been going around for a while.

“We are trying to get to know each other. We are similar people and like each other’s company. Let’s see where it goes,” says Khan, adding, “I met him in the beginning of the year. Jumping to a conclusion is too early. We like each other; that’s about it.”

So is she dating Mishra? “Dating or not, we are best friends... I’m too old school to understand these terms. We are in a beautiful phase. I’m enjoying it,” she replies.

Prodding her for more clarity, we ask her if there is romance between the two and Khan starts blushing. Point it out to her and she quips, “You are smart enough to understand it.”

Talking about “Shiv”, as she fondly calls Mishra, she says, “He’s a great guy. He has a childlike personality, just like me. There’s no pretence between us, just honesty.”