Recently, BT reported about reality show alum Rahul Mahajan’s divorce from his third wife, Natalya Ilina. Back then, Rahul chose not to speak about the separation. However, the former pilot is now ready to talk.

“It is like a big earthquake took place in my life. The tremors are still somewhere there. There is a lot of trauma, but life goes on. You’ve no choice but to be strong,” Rahul says. We learnt that Natalya left Rahul last July, and the divorce came through in January this year. The 48-year-old has been quiet about what’s been going on in his life since then. “I may not show it, but I am very sensitive. Also, I’ve never discussed my personal life, from my father’s death till date,” he shares.

Rahul continues to choose not to talk about what went wrong between him and Natalya, which led to the divorce. “If I speak about it, it will be a one-sided story, and it will be biased,” he says. He adds that he has no hate for his ex-wife. “I still have love and respect for her. The love never dies. I’m not in touch with her and I don’t even know where she is. But love doesn’t go away just like that,” he shares.

Meanwhile, netizens were quick to speculate that the two parted ways because Rahul wanted a baby and Natalya - alimony. He’s quick to clarify, “I did not want baby ever in this relationship. We never tried. Only Dimpy and I tried having a baby and we had a miscarriage. Natalya and I did not have plans for a baby, and neither did I ever desire it. I am 48, I don’t want a baby now.”

About the alimony, he explains, “I’ve never paid a single rupee as an alimony in any of my divorces - Shweta (Singh), Dimpy (Ganguly) and Natalya. All my divorces have been by mutual agreement.”

Talking about his failed marriages, Rahul confesses that he never expected them to end this way. “I never grew up thinking that I would get divorced multiple times. No one wants relationships to end. It is painful. My soul has been torn. Sometimes relationships do not work and it is beyond your scope. People always look for faults. Sometimes, things happen and there are no reasons. It is not anyone’s fault. Sometimes s**t happens,” the former Bigg Boss contestant elaborates.

Rahul is currently taking therapy to deal with his current state of mind, “I have therapists who are helping me deal with my feelings. There’s too much stigma around seeking help through therapy in India, but I see no shame in doing that.”

Ask him if he is ready to fall in love again, and he quickly replies, "I'm emotionally unavailable at the moment. I have not healed properly. I recently started taking counselling. I have to fix and update my software first. I can meet someone, talk to someone, but pyaar main nahi kar sakta because mujhe darr ho gaya hai. I’m working on that fear with my therapist. I need to heal, I’m not fit."

Dimpy Ganguly, who married Rahul Mahajan on a reality show in 2010 and divorced him four years later, is set to begin a new chapter in her life with her Dubai-based structural engineer beau Rohit Roy. She will tie the knot with him on November 27. “The roka will happen in the first week of November,“ says Dimpy. Life has come a full circle for her as Rohit and she happen to be each other's school crush. She says, “We were from different schools and would meet only during fests, but we could never talk about our feelings for each other. And then, I moved on. Strangely, I bumped into him in Dubai in 2013, almost a decade later, and that's when we confessed our feelings to each other. I couldn't believe that the guy who I crushed on, liked me too. The innocent school charm brought us closer, apart from the fact that we belonged to Kolkata. After I moved out of the city, my parents bought a new house which turned out to be just a few kilometres away from Rohit's house. It was as if destiny was trying to bring us together.“

“He was there when I was going through a difficult time during my divorce proceedings. So, when he proposed to me with a commitment ring on October 12, I did not hesitate one bit before accepting it. He has put up with me when I was in the worst phase of my life,“ she adds.

Both Rahul and Rohit know each other and have spoken on various occasions. How did Rohit react to her crying inside the Bigg Boss house last year when she saw Rahul, who entered the show, for a few hours? “Rohit could sense what I was going through. It was a hostile environment and Rahul was a familiar face. More than it being a weak moment, I would say I was overwhelmed,“ she reveals. Ask her if she will invite Rahul for the wedding and she replies, “I never thought about that, but now that you ask, why not? I believe in appreciating good things in a person and relationship. We were two different people trying too hard to make the marriage work, but it fell apart. Neither of us was at fault.“

Dimpy will be shuttling between Dubai and India post marriage. Is she looking to do more TV shows? “Yes, of course. I won't be taking a break till I become a mother. I would love to become one soon,“ she signs off.

Bigg Boss will organise a date for the new couple, Upen Patel and Karishma Tanna, in the house and the estranged couple Rahul Mahajan and Dimpy Ganguly Mahajan. The men will be given a chance to buy a gift for their respective partners. Upen bought a ring for Karishma, while Rahul chose a sari for Dimpy. Says a source from the show, “Rahul mentioned that the sari reminded him of Dimpy's attire from their wedding.“ Apparently, Upen will leave the house immediately after the date.

The inmates of the Bigg Boss house have invited their celebrity friends to party with them and one of the invitees is Rahul Mahajan, estranged spouse of Dimpy Ganguly Mahajan. “I am going for my friend Gautam Gulati,“ Rahul told us. But isn't it awkward for him with Dimpy in the house? “No, we are on cordial terms. It would have been a little awkward if she had invited me.“ Will he share any tips with Dimpy? “My tips will be exclusively for Gautam. Dimpy is playing her game and I wouldn't want to comment whether it's good or bad. I wish her all the luck.“ he signs off.

Dimpy Ganguly Mahajan, who recently filed for divorce from her husband Rahul Mahajan, is the latest to join Bigg Boss. Interestingly, Rahul had participated in the second season of the show in 2008. So, is he aware of her entering the Bigg Boss house? “We are not in touch on a regular basis. But Rahul is aware that I'm going inside the house. I haven't taken any advice from him as he was dealing with a different set of people and circumstances. He just told me to be careful and that nobody is a friend inside,“ she says.

Even though her family members have been avid watchers of the show, they didn't take news of her participation too well. She explains, “They aren't sure if they would be able to see me break down on TV . I'm a soft person and tears are my way of expressing emotions. But when someone steps on my tail, I lose my calm.“

Insisting that she has no game plan, she adds, “There is no strategy because the game and people inside change with every passing day. I want to become everyone's favourite inside the house. Among the contestants, I like Pritam because he has a sense of humour and knows how to tackle a situation without getting into conflict. I also find Sonali (Raut) amusing. And I think Gautam (Gulati) is the entertainment king. It can be annoying to stay with someone who has attitude problem, but you enjoy watching him on the show.“

The show has often been in news for its inmates indulging in physical violence. Dimpy, on her part too, has reportedly had a history of domestic abuse in her marriage to Rahul. Has that experience helped her emerge stronger? “I learn from every experience and it has made me more mature as a person. Coming back to the show, I don't think there has been any physical violence. Puneet (Issar) used a martial art technique during a task. But if anyone raises his hand on me, necessary steps will be taken to counter that. I'm sure Bigg Boss will himself look into it,“ she replies.

Coming to her personal life, Dimpy remains tight-lipped about what led to the separation. Ask her when the divorce is expected to come through and she says, “I don't know the final date, but it will happen soon.“ The reality star relocated to Dubai following trouble in her marriage and buzz is that she is dating a Dubai-based businessman. “I am separated, not divorced. I am both legally and emotionally not available,“ she concludes.