HUMA QURESHI-SAQIB SALEM
There’s food for thought here
On April 8, 2020, Huma Qureshi baked a birthday cake for baby brother Saqib Saleem as he turned 33. She described it as the world’s ugliest cheesecake but consoled herself with the thought that it’s the thought that counts.
Her dishes gave Saqib plenty of thought too. As he went from verse to verse, the actor recited, “Yeh rishta bada anmol hai, Huma ke dimag mein hole hai, karta hun main isse bahut pyar, she is the best yaar. Mera rakhti hai poora dhyan, roz banaati hai naye naye pakhwaan, aaj kya hai menu mein, just please say dal makhana and butter naan.”
He admits she is the worst chess player, but the best “quarantine partner”. Huma endorses that saying, every day with Saqib was an adventure. And when they finally reunited with their parents, he posted a family pic with the cheeky caption, ‘The Saleems’, with Huma, and she shot back, “Stop trying to be so close to my parents ok.” No wonder these two are always laughing when together.
RAKUL PREET SINGH-AMAN PREET SINGH
Pillow fights, but it’s all right
They have a lot in common. Both Rakul Preet Singh and brother Aman are artists, workout enthusiasts and love to travel.
They are also very different. She is up by5.30 am, then, sits for hours to have a meal with Aman because he wakes up late. Rakul is very particular about what she eats, but her brother won’t let her impose her dietary habits on him. Aman, she sighs, goes berserk on cheat days.
He even refuses to fall in with her impromptu plans, insisting he be told well in advance. But flew off with her to Maldives last November to bring in their parent’s 31st wedding anniversary in advance.
She insists, he denies, that he has a short temper. It’s the reason for all their fights, she asserts. Pillow fights. But at the end of the day, Rakul admits that though they fight as if there’s no tomorrow, they are inseparable.
KARTIK AARYAN-KRITIKA TIWARI
The actor and the doctor
If Kartik Aaryan is an on-the-go actor, his medico sister, Dr. Kritika Tiwari is equally busy. So, it was only after seven years that the duo could be together on their birthdays, thanks to the ongoing Corona-virus-triggered pandemic which has already enforced two lockdowns.
She entered the world on April 1, but instead of being the fool, turned out to be the more educated sibling, following in their doctor father’s footsteps. Six-foot baby brother was born on November 22 and he’s a star.
They even celebrated festivals together, from Raksha Bandhan to Diwali. On Raksha Bandhan last year, as his sister did the traditional aarti and he took her blessings, Kartik quipped, tongue-in-cheek, “Jab bahen doctor ho to Raksha ki zimmedari bhi uski.” Touche!
SARA ALI KHAN-IBRAHIM ALI KHAN
Always on a holiday together
From the home gym to vacations together, Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Ali Khan were inseparable during the months of no action, only reactions. They even brought in the New Year together. and Sara admits that with Ibrahim, it’s always sunshine, hugs and cuddles, jokes and pranks.
On his birthday, Sara promised her Igy Potter to feed him lots of pyar and make him the best coffee. She warned him that she would stalk him to go to the beach with her and make him do countless laps in the swimming pool. She was unapologetic about being the worst google map navigator, but insisted her knock knock jokes are the best.
Here is a sample even though Ibrahim tried to wriggle out saying they had to go, they were late.
Sara: Knock knock?
Ibrahim: Who’s there?
Sara: Happy…
Ibrahim: Happy who?
Sara: Happy birthday.
She went on to ask what the mouse ate on his birthday, and negating his “cheese”, replied, “Cake and mice cream.” He was then informed that the teddy bear ate too much cake and groaned, “I am stuffed!”, the rabbit played a game of “musical hairs” and the birthday boy put candles on the toilet seat because he wanted to do “birthday potty”. To Ibrahim’s credit, he kept his cool and did go out with her.
She has two other brothers too, whom she dotes on, Tim Tim aka Taimur and now Jeh aka Jehangir. And with family around, there’s no missing out on fun.
SHRADDHA KAPOOR-SIDDHANT KAPOOR
To market, to market
Shraddha and Siddhanth Kapoor turned grocery shopping into an adventure during the lockdown. Since they were wearing gloves, masks and maintaining social distancing rules, they went unrecognized.
They have been on many such shopping sprees when on holidays abroad. However, the kitchen is mostly Shraddha and mom Shivangi’s domain. When Siddhanth can get in, he fixes a sandwich.
The brother-sister duo also took long walks. chatted for hours, sang and danced, played board games and made the stay-at-home months fun.
KANGANA RANAUT-AKSHAT
It’s a marry-go-round
On November 12, her brother Akshat tied the knot and Kangana Ranaut was the belle of the ball, singing, dancing and clicking selfies galore. And there was more. “Two weddings in three weeks,” she exulted, as another brother, Karan, also got hitched. Pandemic or not, she made sure all their dreams came true.
