Of late, life has been full of surprises for Debina Bonnerjee and Gurmeet Choudhary. They welcomed their first child, Lianna, in April. Four months later, the couple took to Instagram to announce their second pregnancy. The ecstatic couple is waiting with bated breath for the arrival of their second child, who will be 10 months apart from Lianna.

Debina shares, “Becoming a mother is a beautiful feeling, especially for someone who kept motherhood on the shelf for a long time and then struggled for almost seven years to embrace it. When we learnt that we would be blessed with a second child, my happiness knew no bounds. We always wished to have two children.”

Gurmeet adds, “The journey to parenthood hasn’t been easy. Par jab bhagwaan deta hai, toh chappar phaad kar deta hai. When we got the news, it felt unbelievable. Our family is complete now. During my growing up years, I heard the saying ‘Hum Do Hamaare Do’ a lot and it has happened to us. Lianna ko uska bhai ya behen mil jaayegi. It’s important to have a sibling, especially when both parents are working. My children will have each other’s company.”

The couple says that the news of the second pregnancy caught them off guard. Debina says, “Guru (Gurmeet) couldn’t believe it. We were in denial for almost an hour. It’s nothing short of a miracle, as we were certain that it couldn’t happen to us. I was ecstatic not only about the news but also to learn that my body overcame medical problems. My mom says that Lianna has got her soulmate.”

Gurmeet agrees, “I could not believe it to be honest (laughs!). I suspected the pregnancy kit to be faulty and wanted to see a doctor. Till then I didn’t know whether it would be too premature to celebrate. Itne saalon tak aisa kuchh nahi hua toh achaaknak se kaise. Achhi cheez ko time lagta hai par ho jaati hai.”

While they are enjoying this phase, trolls have been busy taking digs at the couple ever since Debina posted about their second pregnancy. The actress, who usually turns a blind eye to trolling, admits that it took her a while to ace the art of not paying heed to toxicity.

She says, “There were comments like I only want to deliver children and I am not interested in getting back to my fit self or my career. Many said another pregnancy in quick succession is harmful to me. People don’t bat an eyelid before passing judgments. How can they expect me to consult a doctor for an unplanned pregnancy? They are worried if I would be able to spend enough time with Lianna. What do they expect me to do? It doesn’t happen at will and who better than me to vouch for it.”

She adds, “I can’t worry about people’s opinions anymore. Also, as a working mother, I don’t want to be a part of any race. If I want, I can get back to work six months after delivering my second child. I am not competing with anyone.”

Gurmeet has adopted a rather positive way of handling negativity on social media. He says, “Debina and I often sing Kuchh toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna. As actors and public figures, we are more exposed to scrutiny. However, I don’t delve into negative comments and consciously avoid the ones that appear even slightly negative. Toh na hi galat cheez padho na hi aapko affect hoga (smiles).”