‘Pati Patni Aur Panga’ contestant Avika Gor: Milind friend-zoned me for 6 months

No relationship is perfect and itrsquos okay to be messy and chaotic mdash as long as there is love Thatrsquos what the Balika Vadhu and Sasural Simar Ka actor Avika Gor and Milind Chandwani have learnt from their experience on the reality show Pati Patni Aur Panga While Gor initially hesitated to open up on camera Chandwani embraced the chance to try something new Set to tie the knot soon the couple in conversation with midday talks about love pet peeves reality TV and what theyrsquove taken away from the showExcerpts from the interviewWho went down on one knee and proposedAvika Our story is rather funny Within a week of knowing him I was sure of him which might seem rather weird to a lot of people but I was sure of where my life was heading He friendzoned me for six monthsMilind I wasnrsquot looking for something temporary or shortterm I think anything longterm deserves its own time for exploration mdash understanding each other what works and what doesnrsquot Thatrsquos why I told her to be friends for six months She was helping me with my social work at that time as my NGO was scaling from three cities to 10 and Avika was monumental in that direction It was also a way to get to know each other better Itrsquos been six years now and itrsquos pretty permanentYoursquove been guarded about your personal life So what made you agree to do a reality showA Irsquom still thinking about it because I have never agreed to appear on any reality show mdash I donrsquot like too much of my personal life going out into the public domain Irsquove been quite imageconscious Itrsquos something Irsquom still working on and learning I still have walls up when there are cameras around but I donrsquot want to disappoint people I think Irsquoll be a little more diplomatic which is something Irsquove been trained to be since I was young But seeing Milind go all out and have that conviction in our relationship and in us as individuals mdash thatrsquos reaffirming He doesnrsquot see flaws as flaws He feels reality is something that will attract people to know us better and love us more His perception is slowly changing mine I was worried about how much they would show and what would happen Every time I was approached for Bigg Boss I avoided it because it meant too much information going out But seeing him I felt maybe itrsquos a fear I need to conquer Over time Irsquom learning to be real with the audience People are curious to know who the real Avika is mdash this is my opportunity to connect with themHow are you more convinced than she is about doing a reality show considering yoursquove never been in the media glareM I think my conviction comes from the fact that I know Avika I feel her personality off camera is even more phenomenal I always tell her lsquoI wish the world got to know the real Avikarsquo She is so much more than all her characters put together As for me Irsquom just too quirky I like trying new things I say yes to anything and everything that life throws my way So when Pati Patni Aur Panga came to us I felt that if Avika was okay doing it Irsquod be open to it I feel the audience who already love her will love her even more mdash and maybe love this damad a little too in the processDo you feel if there is drama it would be blown out of proportion on a reality showA I feel I can trust the channel because I have worked with them for so long They always respect my decision when I refuse to be part of Bigg Boss They treat me as their own so I have a sense of comfort with them I feel safe with them I feel it is a lovely bias that they treat me like their daughterNow that yoursquove shot for a few episodes how does it feelA I wasnrsquot expecting to have so much fun with everyone Irsquom learning a lot about marriage on this show Every couple is either married or has been with each other for decades so I get to learn from their experiencesM What Irsquom enjoying on the show is the unfiltered chemistry between the couples Thatrsquos what Irsquom taking away from it Itrsquos a powerful show mdash it proves that relationships donrsquot have to be perfect They can be messy chaotic full of nokjhoks Irsquom realising that nothing needs to be perfect as long as you can bear each other and want to wake up next to the person you loveTwo things you love about each otherM I love how kind she is mdash my students NGO and family have all witnessed it Whenever she gets an opportunity and doesnrsquot pursue it she makes sure to extend it to someone she knows would be perfect for it Thatrsquos my favourite quality about her I love how innocently smart she is She has a sharp brain it shows in how she processes information communicates and engages in conversation I may be academically smart on paper but we balance each other perfectly on the showA Itrsquos his habit to acknowledge the best parts of everything and everyone Hersquos positive and has a way of seeing that in others too Secondly he says yes to every new experience no matter what the situation is