“I wish I could approach the happiest  moment of my life with more positivity,” Aditya Narayan On Parenthood During The Pandemic

Singer-anchor  Aditya Narayan  remembers  that  exact  moment when he  found  out his wife Shweta  was pregnant. 

“I was shooting for Indian Idol in Daman and  when we came back to Mumbai  my wife Shweta was behaving  strangely, lots  of moodswings  and all. I had never seen  her  like this in the past. I told her to get herself tested for pregnancy.  She  told me to stop pulling her leg. ‘Just because  I am a little moody doesn’t mean I am pregnant.’ But she was,” Adtya  laughed.

Aditya  says he is  very happy . “I’ve always  loved children. I always wanted my own  child…no make that ,children;and  when  you find the  ideal life partner you want  children  all the more.”

However with the  joy comes the  trepidation. “ There is  anxiety. I mean, even if we weren’t living in scary times there would’ve been some anxiety about being parents  for  the  first time. But now all the more. We’ve to be very careful.”

 Aditya had planned  for parenthood from  before  marrige. “The  good part is, I had made plans  for parenthood  from before we got married. I knew we would need  more space, a bigger house . Firstly because Shweta came  with her belongings  and needed space. Secondly  because  we were sure we wanted  children “

Aditya feels there is added stress. “Kaam toh karna padega. Bills have to be paid. At the same time the  Covid has become  highly  contagious  though  very very mild. Plus being in front of the camera you are  the only one  without  a mask because  you can’t shoot with a  mask. It’s scary : while I am shooting the air-conditioning is  circulating  the same air. All this is  weighing on my mind ,more so now when soon I’ll be coming home  to a  baby.”

Luckily  Aditya has  a large house that’s almost ready. “There’s an extra room for me where  I will be quarantined after I return from shooting.To have  your newly born child in  the next room… It will be  very tough to keep myself away. But kya karen? Waqt hi kuch aisa hai.I will have  to get  myself tested regularly.Shweta and I  will be very careful. I wish I could approach  the happiest  moment of my life with  more positivity.”

Aditya  grew up as a single child, hence pampered?  “My parents definitely pampered me as  best as they could. You  know, my father started  getting his fame and  fortune  only after I was born. My parents have  really struggled to bring me  up  well. I didn’t  feel  like  I was living affluently. But my parents deprived me  of nothing. They did their  level-best to give me everything I wanted.  My father was stricter than my mother because he came from a very humble background and  knew what it was like to be in need constantly. My  mother was an air hostess  on Air India  .She got me small gifts  from all over the world. Yes they took good care of me.I am ever-grateful to them.”

So is  Aditya  going to be a strict parent?  “I don’t have  it in me  to be strict with my child. But I will make  sure it  is disciplined. I will  definitely  inculcate the values that I  grew up with: that  you need  to be focused and consistent  in  order to get anywhere  in life. It doesn’t matter what  he or she would want to be. But  one must be iron-willed and  determined to get somewhere  in life. The good  part is, I’ve always  led  a focussed  life , so my child would emulate  my lifestyle.I always hero-worshipped  my father. So I   presume  my child will do the same with me.Shweta will be  the strict parents. I’ve seen her with my dogs  and with children. She will be a wonderful mother.”

Aditya  started  off as a child actor. But he didn’t miss out on   a normal childhood. “Honestly I wouldn’t want it any other way. Because  all my experiences  during  my  childhood have  helped me  to  be the  person that I am.I’ve done  all the normal things as a child while working. Maybe  I haven’t done as much  of  it as other children. But I had  a   healthy childhood specially from 13-18 when I has taken a break from show business to focus on my secondary education.”

Aditya  and Shweta  are  now  looking forward  to parenthood. “The baby is  due  anytime now in February. We will be very stringent about  the baby’s safety. Apart from me everyone else  will be home-confined including the staff. It will be a  little  difficult for me  to keep a distance from my wife and  child. Even though Iwill be in the same  house I will be in another room. What to do? If there is anyone jeopardizing  my  child’s safety it will be me. I have to work.Life has  to go on.I will  have monitors  in my  room to  see  my  wife and baby. It will be tough. Let’s see how  it goes.”

He plans to   cut down on  his workload  after  the  baby is born. “I am trying to  finish my pending work before the baby is born.  But glitches keep happening: curfews, cancellations, restrictions. I am grateful I  planned for  a bigger house. We will  be shifting  in  a month. I’ve studio set up at  home also. I will stay at home as much as  I can. Thankfully  I don’t need to step out for  music recordings. But I am cutting down on live shows. Travelling is very scary. Shooting  for a reality show is preferable,given that  one is  confined to  one place.But performing live  for thousands during times of Covid? No thanks!”