Holy matrimony

**Umita Basnet: Why did you decide to get married on the first month of the Nepali calendar?** **Rishi Dhamala:** New Year brings new hopes and messages. So I thought it would be the perfect time to start a new life. **How did you two meet?** **RD:** I saw her at a program organised by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party where she was accompanying her mother Gita Gautam. I liked the way she looked and behaved. **To fall for someone at first sight you must have thought about your ideal girl a lot then?** **RD:** She is everything I ever dreamt of. Look at her, she is considerate, understanding, perfect - beauty with brains. **How did you approach her?** **Aliza Gautam:** He talked to my mother. **RD:** When it comes to marriage, families should be involved. It should be with the consent of the parents. I don’t have time to fall in love. Rishi Dhamala doesn’t have that much time to take a girl to a restaurant or a park. Let’s just put it like this - I don’t have time to date. **What is the age difference between the two of you?** **Rishi Dhamala:** 17 years. **Since there is a big age gap, did you ever worry that you might not get along or understand each other?** **AG:** No. It all happened all of a sudden. But whatever happened was for the good. Not everyone is lucky to have such a well known husband. **RD:** She has a positive attitude and doesn’t let it bother her. Age doesn’t matter when it comes to love. **What sort of wife is Aliza?** **RD:** She is understanding and considerate. For a person like Rishi Dhamala who cannot give a lot of time to his personal life she is unbelievably understanding. **How is Rishi Dhamala as a husband?** **AG:** He is busy most of the time, but he still calls and texts me. And that is one thing I like about him. **Tell us about his daily routine.** **AG:** He wakes up in the morning and does yoga, drinks a glass of hot water, and leaves then comes home for dinner at 11 or 12 at night. **Have you made any changes to your schedule after marriage?** **RD:** No. Friends on facebook and twitter said my routine would definitely change after marriage, but I haven’t let it affect my schedule. **Don’t you think you are depriving your wife of quality time together just to prove others wrong?** **RD:** No, not really. Even though I am not there I have managed everything for her. If people want, they can make time for everything. She knows that although I cannot be by her side all the time, I belong to her and I am hers alone. **How often do you go shopping?** **AG:** Very regularly. I shop for him as well. **RD:** Her choice is really good. She buys me beautiful clothes just like herself. I feel happy wearing beautiful clothes bought by a beautiful person. **She made a good choice - she chose you.** **RD:** Yes, she chose me. Otherwise she could’ve turned down the proposal when her mother talked to her. Initially I thought I’d never get married but when I met her, she had a certain effect on me and it was wonderful to have the blessings of her family. Actually no one thought I would get married. When senior leaders like Prachanda, Jhalanath Khanal, and Sushil Koirala heard I was getting married, they thought it was a rumour. And they joked that even on my wedding day I would be busy reporting. Which actually turned out to be true. On the day of the wedding, I went the radio station at 6.30am to complete my live talk show and then came back to the mandap. **Were there any other girls in your life before Aliza?** **RD:** There were a lot of girls who liked me and proposed. But I never looked at them or told them I liked them. I had no intention of getting married to them. **Why do you like red so much?** **RD:** It is part of my identity now. At first I wore a red coat and then a red high neck with a black overcoat. During winter I wore red muffler so often that people started teasing me. And now a red tie. It’s become my style statement. **Is there anything about your husband you would like to change?** **AG:** I wouldn’t change anything about him. I like him the way he is. **Umita Basnet interviews chairman of Reporters' Club Nepal Rishi Dhamala and wife Aliza Gautam on Himalaya TV**