A ‘Dilli ka launda’ goes to Mumbai chasing his dreams, runs into his crush, a heroine, during a movie promotion, sweeps her off her feet with his simplicity and marries her in a secret ceremony, lest the news hampers her career. If you have ever dismissed love as overrated, this couple will put your faith in the word again. Actor Amrita Rao and Anmol Sood aka RJ Anmol’s love story has hit the stands in the form of a book, titled Couple of Things.

The two met for the first time in 2007, during Rao’s movie promotion at a radio station in Delhi. They soon figured out that they were unbelievably similar despite contrasting backgrounds. “We clicked like anything! We were so similar in our tastes, our thoughts. We would end up matching clothes without even planning it,” says the Thackeray (2019) actor.

Anmol, 43, gradually moved from the “dreaded friend zone” to “boyfriend” status. But they had to keep their “love a secret, which added thrill to our lives”. Anmol says, “Amrita would come to meet me clad in a burqa! Isse zyada crazy aur kya hoga?”

They got married in a hush-hush ceremony in Pune in 2014 after dating for five years. But they didn’t reveal it to the world. “No bookings or payments were done in our names. We also hired a French photographer who knew nothing about Bollywood and was just fascinated to shoot an Indian wedding,” recalls Anmol.

When they moved in together, Rao, 41, hid her identity from the house help. “Once, when she became suspicious that I was indeed Amrita Rao, the heroine. I told her, ‘Oh! I just resemble her’,” laughs the actor. When the woman looked unconvinced, they pleaded: “Behen, please kisi ko batana mat.”

The couple, who has a two-year-old son, Veer, adds that their wedding announcement two years later was no less thrilling. Anmol says, “We pulled off our nakli shaadi pretty well. Chilling in pyjamas, we read the news: ‘Amrita Rao weds RJ Anmol’, while we were already married for two years.”

An unlikely romance between a Bollywood star and a radio jockey, ‘burqa dates’ to keep the relationship under wraps, the guy driving all the way from Lower Parel to Versova to get a glimpse of his lady love from the balcony, a clandestine wedding that they could announce only after two years! This celebrity couple has one of the most incredible love stories to tell.

Whether it’s the way their eyes beam at each other’s sight, the mushy giggles they share or the way they address each other with cute nicknames, (Chips for Amrita, Moli for Anmol), one can tell their bond is unique.

Their book, Couple Of Things, brings you compelling nuggets from their totally contrasting lives and their roller-coaster journeys that made them cross each other’s path. “We finished it in a record time of two months! While writing it, we realized that this was the best decision, considering the story we have to tell. It flew effortlessly in words as we knew it so well,” says Amrita.

Their first meeting happened during Amrita’s movie promotion at the Delhi office of the radio station where Anmol worked. And his genuineness made way into Amrita’s heart.

Anmol recalls seeing Amrita in a film and being swept off by her “old-fashioned innocence.” When he met her in person, her looks struck him like a thunderbolt but it was her unassuming nature that left a deeper impression.

A few months later, Anmol couldn’t believe when the Bollywood star turned up at his radio station in Mumbai for an interview, wearing no makeup, dressed down in a pair of jeans. He was more surprised when she asked for a simple khichdi for dinner, debunking all his notions about stars.

Their meetings didn’t stop. The camaraderie they shared changed Amrita’s perception of men. She could trust him and feel at ease with him. She gradually realised it was love.

Amrita also turned down a dream offer from one of India’s biggest production houses who were keen to sign her as an in-house artist as it demanded scenes she was not willing to do. This made her feel low. But she had found someone who could sense her despair and cry for her. She knew how precious that love was and she wanted to cherish it. Amrita and Anmol married in a secret ceremony in Pune after dating for five years.

So, is love sheer luck, is it hard work or a mix of both? We ask them. “I think love and luck go together in this world. And if you find luck, you ought to put in the hard work. You can’t leave it (the relationship) on automation mode,” says Amrita. “Yes, you have to keep fuelling the relationship. It’s a journey,” agrees Anmol.

And did the journey change after their bundle of joy, Veer made it to their world? “We have our differences over bringing up Veer and it’s all right. When you are working on the same project, whether it’s a professional one or the baby, you can have differences,” says Amrita.

And how do they handle all the attention they get from the opposite sex? Is there ever a twinge of jealousy? “Jealousy isn’t good for a relationship and the onus is on your partner, how your partner makes you feel secure with their actions,” says Amrita. “And I give 100% credit to Amrita for making me feel completely secure for the last 13 years,” says Anmol.

But there was one incident that triggered insecurity in Anmol years ago and he had to channel his inner “Dilli ka launda” to deal with a situation. “We gate-crashed a party and there was a friend’s friend who came and met Amrita, hugged her really tight and gave a peck on her cheek. I was like, ‘Teri aisi ki taisi! Tu hain kaun? Teri girlfriend kahan hai? Main bhi usse aise hi milunga!’ So, it’s okay, chalta hai. Feeling like this once in 13 years is okay,” he cracks up.

Replete with interesting anecdotes like this one, they hope their book brings a smile on the faces of those reading it. “If we can make people trust love again, it will be an accomplishment,” says Anmol.

We wish them luck!

Pictures: Mayur Chhabria

Outfits: Rahul Mishra, Khanijo, Shruti Sancheti

Makeup & Hair: Geetanjali Salon

Location: Planet Hollywood, Thane

Production: Zehara Kaynat, Shruti Shende, Prerna Gauba Sibbal