Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan's beautiful love story revisited

What happens when the most beautiful woman in the world meets a perfectly tall, dark and handsome man? Well, sparks fly of course! 

Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan are one of the finest couples in B-Town. Powerhouses - both individually and together, their journey of love and comittment has inspired many a dreamy-eyed youngster, to believe that the fairytale does indeed exist. 

Today, the charming couple completes 10 whole years of togetherness and it would only be fair for us to remind the world of their tale of authentic love and romance. 

Let's take a walk down memory lane...

From being 'just friends' 

Aishwarya and Abhishek met on the sets of the film, Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke in the year 2000, and worked together again on Kuch Naa Kaho in 2003. This marked the 'just friends' period. In fact, they had casually met even before they did these films together, but it was during this time that they got to really know each other. 

When love blossomed ...

While rumour has it that sparks began to fly between the two while they were shooting for the item song, Kajra Re, on the sets of Bunty Aur Babli (2005), the truth is that it was only in 2006-2007, when the two got a lot of time to spend together while shooting for three films - Umrao Jaan, Guru and Dhoom 2. It was especially during that year and the schedule of Dhoom 2, when they started developing feelings towards each other. Ash's and Abhi were smitten by each other and love began to bloom.

The big proposal 

Abhishek proposed to the former beauty queen after the world premiere of the film, Guru, in New York.  With a ring in his pocket, Abhi was well prepared before he popped the question on a freezing cold, windy night. The ring that Abhishek had with him was no diamond rock, but a studio prop from the sets of Guru. It was the same ring that Abhishek had slipped on Aishwarya's finger in the film. In fact, he asked the producer if he could keep the ring for sentimental reasons. In an interview with a popular daily, Ash said, "He is original and real, like our relationship. There is nothing predictable or boring about our life. We nurture each other. The gesture was spontaneous and meaningful. God has been kind to us. We can certainly afford those standard rocks. But do we need them?" she asked. According to reports, when asked about the proposal, Abhishek said, “I was filming in New York for a movie. And, I used to stand on the balcony of my hotel room and wish that, 'One day, wouldn't it be nice if I was together with her, married. Years later, we were there for the premiere of Guru. After the premiere, we were back in the hotel. So, I took her to the very same balcony, and I asked her to marry me.”

The courtship and bond

After the formal proposal, the two flew back to Mumbai and got engaged on January 14, 2007, at the Bachchan’s residence. Thereafter, both the actors began acknowledging their relationship publicly and were the talk of the town for obvious reasons. Aishwarya was also spotted visiting the Bachchan's home more often.

The grand wedding 

The couple finally tied the knot on the 20th of April 2007. The baarat started from one of the residences of the Bachchans, Jalsa, to their other house, Prateeksha. The wedding was nothing short of a fairytale and was attended by many famous Bollywood celebrities, politicians, and businessmen as guests.  A few days post their wedding, the couple visited the Tirupathi temple along with Amitabh Bachchan, to seek blessings.

Welcoming a baby girl 

On November 16th 2011, Abhishek and Aishwarya welcomed their daughter, Aaradhya, into the world. Aishwarya, a doting mother, took a break from the movies and devoted all her  time and attention to her daughter. Abhishek too is a hands on father and according to a report, he said, “As far as I am concerned, taking care of the child is never just a mother's role. It's all about sharing responsibilities.”

Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan's love story is a memorable one that encourages people to believe in love and the institution of marriage. Their loving yet dignified and respectful conduct towards each other has risen the bar notches higher and today, on their special day, we'd like to wish the charming couple a very Happy Anniversary.  More love and power to you, Ash and Abhi!