Around that period -- early to mid-2005 -- Ash went off to Tunisia to shoot for Last Legion, and the physical distance between the two escalated the growing emotional distance.
Meanwhile, the fates seemed to be linking her lot with Abhishek's. There was the Kajra Re song with Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan in Bunty Aur Babli; close on its heels, she signed three high profile movies with Abhishek: Dhoom 2, Guru and Umrao Jaan.
Vivek, around this time, went into overdrive, constantly speaking of his love for Ash and their 'plans' - -until a miffed Ash sent him an SMS, informing him that he did not have proprietorial rights over her life, and that she would chose her own destiny.
Abhishek stepped into the vacuum. Though their togetherness was initially explained by the fact that they were doing all those films together, the industry -- which has a finely honed antenna for such things -- began speaking of the two as an item by early 2006.
Neither actor would confirm there was anything going -- but straws in the wind were there in plenty.
Firstly, in February 2006, when Amitabh's brother Ajitabh Bachchan went to Bangalore with their horoscopes, to meet with astrologer Chandrashekhar Swamy.
Ajitabh confirmed he had made the trip; Swamy for his part said he had looked at the horoscopes and 'if God willed', the wedding would happen.
Don't Miss: Ash-Abhi puja has Varanasi agog
Advertisement
