As working parents, it is difficult to get time off to spend with your spouse. But all it needs to keep the love alive, is a little effort and some time management. Sure, life is not always hunky dory, but that does not mean you get so caught up in its issues that you forget to keep the romance alive.

Early on, when I’d started my acting career, I had mentally decided to put in long hours of work, but I did make sure that they were not unnecessary working hours. I stuck to doing one shift at a time, which still gave me the evenings off to spend with Manasi.

Manasi and I consciously work towards spending time together, especially, after Kiara’s birth. Priorities change after the arrival of a child. But we still make the time to address our needs as a couple. We might be new age parents, but we believe in hands-on parenting when it comes to Kiara. We don’t believe in leaving her with a nanny and rushing off on a romantic getaway.

That does not mean that Manasi and I don’t vacation together. We do take a couple of days off in a month to spend some alone time. But when we do plan a romantic getaway, we ensure that Kiara is in safe hands. That is where my mother steps in. With her, we can be sure that Kiara will be fine. It is also the perfect way for the grandmother-granddaughter duo to bond. But that does not mean Kiara doesn’t get her fun holidays with us. We do take her out to places she likes as well.

But the guilt of having left your child does tend to niggle. There was a time when Manasi and I decided to go to Matheran, which is four hours away from Mumbai, for a three-day break. But once we got there, we realised we missed Kiara so much, that we rushed back home the second day itself.

What helps is that Kiara doesn’t mind us leaving her behind occasionally. Now that she’s seven years old, she’s a little mature and we can explain to her that Mama and Papa need some time off for themselves at times. Earlier we wouldn’t tell her when we were stepping out. But now it’s all a lot easier as she understands.

Earlier, juggling time between a hectic acting schedule, a child and a wife was not all that easy. But now that I have stepped back from the small screen and am concentrating on films, it is a lot easier. Although, films take me away from home for months at a stretch, Manasi and Kiara join me at our shoots over weekends and holidays.

No matter what phase of life or career you are at, you have to make time for your family. There’s no two ways about it.

What really works well for Manasi and me is the fact that we pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend every now and then. We do everything a couple would do during their courtship period. Go for a drive, a romantic dinner in town or just a long conversation to discuss the events of our day. It’s the perfect way to not just unwind, but also to reconnect and bond with my wife. I love the fact that we can both sit down and talk endlessly, without ever getting bored.

In fact, we still go on dates spontaneously. Maybe get some good music, the car and we’re off. After all, no matter what, as a couple we need to devote time to each other.

As told to Ranjani Rajendra

Source: Deccan Chronicle