Shamita Shetty recently on Bigg Boss 15 said that she wanted to get married this year. Before entering the house, Shamita and Raqesh Bapat made their relationship official. The two had met on Bigg Boss OTT, which took place last year. Raqesh, too, entered BB15 as a wild card, but had to opt out due to health reasons.

In a recent candid chat with us, he spoke about his equation with Shamita. When we asked him about her statement on marriage, he said, “Whatever decision is taken, it will be taken by both of us and with a clear mind. It is important that we spend time together because I agree with her that we haven’t got much time to spend together to gauge things. So, let’s hope for the best.”

Some time ago, Rakhi Sawant and Salman Khan were seen pulling Shamita’s leg and teasing her with Karan Kundrra. To that, Shamita had said, “Don’t do this, even Raqesh may not like this.”

When asked about this, Raqesh said “I laugh when such things happen. When two people are secure in a relationship, these things don’t matter. I understand that house and the way things happen there, so I take it as a joke. Such things don’t bother me.”

Raqesh is proud of Shamita for how she has conducted herself inside the Bigg Boss house. “I have always said that Shamita is a woman of substance. She is very transparent. After a long time, I have met someone who is so clear about things. She’s doing very well in the Bigg Boss house. She’s real. We both like to stay real, which is why we got along during Bigg Boss OTT. I understand that it gets difficult inside sometimes for her, and I wish I could’ve been there with her. But on her own too, she’s very good and I am very proud of her for the way she’s handling things. For me, she is the winner.”

Does he feel that his presence in the show could have further boosted Shamita’s chances of becoming a winner? “I think she is much better without me in the house. Otherwise, it would have been about ShaRa (Shamita and Raqesh), but here she is showing her individuality. So without me, too, she is strong enough to fight her battles. I am definitely there for her in spirit.”