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Young and famous
Tom-Kat and Bennifer grabbed headlines and Brangelina is doing the same. But Nepal has its own share of celebrity couples: NTV VJ GP Timilsina and Miss Nepal 2000 Usha Khadgi; Nirakar Yakthumba (bassist,1974 AD) and Dolly Gurung (Nepal’s first female mode
by SUBEL BHANDARI
| FROM ISSUE # 122 (February 2006) | IN THIS ISSUE | |||
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SAYAL
Sarun watched Payal being crowned Miss Nepal on TV and thought she was another "little girl" turned beauty queen. Payal saw Sarun on TV in The Uglyz's music video of Aaudai Jaadai and immediately called Preeti Sitaula, then Kantipur's VJ, to ask about it. Payal and Sarun met for the first time at Samjhana Audio Video's office, where Payal was discussing Madzone's Keti Timi. Sarun came because he'd heard she would be there. She was talking to Madzone's Rakesh when Sarun entered. Payal blushed. SAV's MD Sachin Singh introduced them to each other. 
They met next at rapper Nirnaya's da' NSK's Ma Nepali concert and the same evening at Deepak Bajracharya's show. Then they met off and on with Sachin as common agenda. First seen together in public at Nirnaya's wedding, there was subtle attraction between the two. Achyut Koirala of Aaha Sangeet magazine, asked Payal if she was seeing Sarun. She denied it, which was true then. That week Saptahik wrote about how Payal Shakya and Sujan Tamrakar (spelt wrong) had come together to the wedding.
Sarun had memorised Payal's email when she was giving it to someone at SAV. Emails then became routine. Payal was on a Nepal tour to endorse Shakalaka Boom noodles but would still find a way to email him. Sometimes they would meet on Yahoo messenger and chat for hours. But they always chatted with Sachin in conference. Without Sachin, all they said was hi-hello. "Had there been no rumours, we might have been just good friends," they say.
One day, Sarun got tipsy and told Sachin how he felt about Payal. Next in chat, Sachin asked Payal in a separate window what she would do if Sarun asked her to marry him. She wrote something in the conference messenger that touched Sarun. He opened another window and told her how he felt. "He didn't propose until much later," she adds. They talked about commitments, Sarun going to Australia and Payal's plan to study in the US.
On their first official date, they went to a restaurant in Lazimpat, with Sachin as chaperone. A few dates later, Sachin left them alone. Payal in the meantime tried convincing her parents to send her to Australia instead. "Sarun helped me with the documents but I didn't get a date for IELTS. It almost looked like I wouldn't make it. Then at the British Council, we met his fan who helped us out," says Payal.
Sarun and Payal make an adorable couple. He likes her smile and eyes. She finds him cute and likes the fact that he doesn't have an attitude. When they fight, Sarun apologises first. "It's hard being celebrities. You can't go to public places. If you do, people start rumours," says Sarun. The young couple see themselves married to each other in a few years. They say, "We have the present. We can make our relationship work."
M & M
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When Manoj first saw Malvika, he didn't like her. He presumed she was proud. Malvika didn't like him either; she thought he was an annoying brat. But the Rock Show 2003 in Hong Kong changed their lives.
1974 AD was performing and Malvika was the MC at the show. The Nepali team had planned to visit Ocean Park on the third day but because they'd partied into the night, not one felt like it. Manoj wanted to go but not alone so he asked Malvika to join him. One of the concert organisers joined them. Call it filmy but at one point, they lost the organiser. Tired, they sat down to rest. That's when everything changed for Manoj. Malvika leaned on his back.
Back in the hotel, Manoj recalled the argument the other Nepalis had had about taking Malvika on the tour. Even then, without intending to help, he had helped her collect her passport and documents. Now, he was thinking of her.
The next day, it was Malvika's turn to swoon at the sight of Manoj dressed in black leather pants, thumping out loud music. His rock attitude impressed her. After the show, the Nepali crew went out to dinner except for Manoj and Malvika. They went on Star Ferry, a popular place for couples on a date in Hong Kong.
Malvika returned to Nepal two days before Manoj and for him, it was one of the hardest days. He wanted to return as soon as possible. When he did, Malvika was waiting at the airport though it was 11PM. "It was the most romantic thing she did for me," says Manoj. "When I returned from the US also, she waited till 3AM."
"Manoj is kind to everyone and is good-looking. That's why I like him," says Malvika. She knows he is a family person and respects his hard work but is still annoyed when he doesn't call her. "She is stubborn but not as much as me," says Manoj.
The initial six months of their relationship was one of the most difficult periods for the couple. Manoj left for the US with 1974 AD while Malvika was working at Kantipur Television. Their communication was limited to phone calls, messages, and emails. They wanted to spend more time together.
What makes their relationship strong is that they treat each other as ordinary people and not as celebrities. Manoj the rock star and Malvika the beauty queen never come in between. When they quarrel, it's like "Iraq and America" in Manoj's words. Malvika is usually the first to compromise but Manoj quickly adds, "I've started compromising too."
Making time for each other is still difficult as Manoj is busy with his band and arranging music for other singers. Malvika, a Cancerian, says, "He's a Virgo, not romantic." And he butts in, "Dinner and an evening out is all you can do as a couple in Kathmandu." Their day usually starts and ends with wishing each other good morning and good night. Both are confident about their relationship. "Stable" is how Malvika describes it and Manoj says, "Secure."