Gautam Rode and Pankhuri Awasthy: It’ll be the third year we fast together on Karwa Chauth

 Karwa Chauth is special for Gautam Rode and Pankhuri Awasthy, who have been fasting together on the day since they got married. “It is going to be our third year fasting together,” says Pankhuri, as Gautam jumps in, “ Shaadi se pehle bhi rakha tha!” “No, I kept it. You did not,” chides Pankhuri. This year, she tells us, “I asked him ‘Karwa Chauth aa raha hai, tum rakhoge? And he was like, ‘Of course, yeh koi poochne ki baat hai?’”

The couple starts to prepare for Karwa Chauth a day before. While this year they may not be able to go out, the couple does have a routine they follow. Pankhuri says, “I like to put mehendi a day before Karwa Chauth. He hogs till 12 in the night. Imagine, he also eats sargi in the morning!” Gautam, on the other hand, spends most of the day sleeping. “ Kabhi sar mein dard ho raha hota hai, kabhi pet mein. I sleep after eating sargi and wake up around 4pm. Then I watch TV and sleep again. Pankhuri doesn’t drink water that often in any case, and I always have a water bottle with me. So, fasting’s tough for me,” says Gautam.

And what’s the best thing about keeping the fast as a couple, we ask? “I think it’s the fact that you keep it together. It’s special that you are doing something for your partner,” Pankhuri says, as Gautam adds, “I think it’s inhumane that your partner is fasting while you are hogging, so that’s why I fast.”

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And what about when they are working on Karwa Chauth? “Last year, I was shooting in Varanasi and he came there on the day of the festival,” Pankhuri tells us, while Gautam chimes in, “I flew there bhookha pyaasa. Cheating kar sakta tha airplane mein, but maine nahi ki!”

The lockdown gave people a chance to spend ample time with their loved ones, and Gautam and Pankhuri are no different. Pankhuri shares, “The world came to a halt, and there were so many things we did together, from jhaadu-pochchha to watching shows. I also learnt how to cook. There was a phase when I tried to learn painting and also another language. We also fought, but nothing major.” “Time seekhne sikhaane mein hi chala gaya,” adds Gautam, who also tried his hand at TikTok. “ Socho, main pehli baar TikTok par aaya aur TikTok hi ban ho gaya!” laughs Gautam.