Rahul Vaidya, the runner-up of the recently concluded Bigg Boss 14, won hearts on the show, but lost his own to actress Disha Parmar. The talented singer was lauded for his straightforwardness during his stint inside the house. However, it was his love life that caught everyone’s attention and grabbed headlines. Rahul entered the show as a singleton, but professed his love for Disha, who was seen in the TV show Pyar ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyara Pyara, just a month into it.

Talking about realising his love for Disha and proposing to her on the reality show, the singer tells us, “Uss ghar mein aapko log buri buri baatein bolte hain. Initially, nobody used to even speak to me. I would often wonder main kahaan aa gaya. I was a complete misfit. During that time, I started missing Disha immensely and wanted to meet her. I hadn’t met her on my birthday in September or before going inside the house. I regretted not telling her that she was the love of my life when I was outside. Woh ghar aisa hai jahaan aapko baahri zindagi ke harr rishte ki ahamiyat realise hoti hai.”

Disha admits she was taken by surprise with the proposal. She says, “I was celebrating my birthday with my friends when a promo of him proposing to me broke on television. I was taken by surprise because I had no idea that he would do something like that. Hum date toh kar nahi rahe the ki proposal aa jaaye. There was no denying that I liked him, but I was shocked. We liked each other, but never spoke about our feelings and he straight away proposed for marriage! It took a little time for things to sink in. Then I thought about it. There was no way I could have said no. Even my family was surprised. I had tears in my eyes while watching the promo. He came out for a week in between and we got an opportunity to discuss it.”

Rahul says he was worried sick of Disha’s family’s reaction to his proposal. “There was no response from her for some time. I was scared ki kuchh gadbad ho gayi hai — either her family hasn’t liked it or she didn’t appreciate it. What if her mother hadn’t liked me proposing marriage to her daughter on national television! Aap uss ghar mein harr angle se sochte ho. Achha kam sochte ho, negative hi zyada sochte ho. As far as my family was concerned, they knew that I would marry the girl of my choice. And they are extremely fond of her,” he shares. Disha confirms that her family is also happy about the match.

So, how did it all start between them? Apparently, Rahul and Disha started chatting on Instagram in mid-2018 and soon became friends. Disha shares, “I liked a song by him and commented ‘Loved it’ on the post.” Rahul adds, “I thought itni sundar ladki hai toh mauka kaise chhod dete (laughs!). I messaged her, we started chatting and soon exchanged numbers. We hung out for the first time in Delhi while shooting for my single, Yaad Teri, in November 2018.” Recalling how their friendship blossomed, Disha says, “We were shooting for four consecutive days. So, we got time to sit down and talk. I had a soft corner for him. We were good friends before he entered the Bigg Boss house.”

We asked the love birds what attracts them to each other. Rahul says, “Iske chehre par bohot shaanti hai. I have never heard her speak ill about anyone, including people she may not like. This quality of hers amazes me. She is simple and extremely beautiful. I realised my love for her quite late, but people around us always wished for us to be together.”

Disha loves Rahul’s sense of clarity in thoughts. She says, “Kya chahiye, kya nahi chahiye, kya karna hai kya nahi karna hai — he is clear about everything in life. He is honest and romantic, and that’s amazing (smiles!). I’m sure that he is going to be a great husband.”

The couple is all set to take their relationship to the next level and plans to tie the knot soon. Rahul reveals, “We are still in the process of finalising a date, but marriage will happen in three to four months.”

Any pre-wedding jitters? “Both of us are calm people. We aren’t fussy at all. I have performed at a lot of weddings and have witnessed all the grandeur, which is why I would prefer mine to be simple and intimate. We will host a function for the fraternity later,” he signs off.