Monica Bedi: My Romance with Abu Salem

How she started off:

I'm actually from Norway. I was born in Punjab but my family shifted to Norway when I was just one year old. I came to India on a holiday. I never planned to become an actress. But I was very inclined towards Indian classical dance. I was on a two-month holiday so I decided to learn some Kathak. I joined Gopi Kishan's classes and then I started getting offers.

How she met Abu Salem:

One day, I got a call from a guy in Dubai saying he was organising a show where he wanted me to do a stage performance. I said okay. He said he would get back to me after all the formalities were done.

Then, a few days later, he called up again and we talked for some time. A couple of days later, he called again. I began getting friendly with him over the phone. At that time, he gave me a different name. I didn't know he was Abu Salem. Actually, even if he had told me he was Abu Salem, I would've had no clue. I had only heard about Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel. I'd never heard of Abu Salem.

How he hid her real identity from her:

After being to Dubai twice, when he invited me for the third time, I asked him to come to Mumbai instead. But he always kept giving me some excuse or the other.

He had introduced himself to me as Arsalan Ali -- that's the false identity he used often. Even the case that was going on or is still on is with regard to the same thing. He got caught in Portugal too over this identity. If he had used his real name, he would've been caught a long time back.

Finally, on my third trip to Dubai, he told me his real identity. He said his real name was Abu Salem and that he had a past. He said he wanted to change all that and start afresh. By that time, we were in love with each other.

The other side of Abu Salem -- According to Monica:

See, for me, he was always a normal guy. He was very nice to me. I never saw the grey side of him. I always saw him helping people. He's a kind-hearted person. I don't know about his past; I don't know what wrong he's done. I can only talk about what I saw of him. He was very possessive of me and he really respected me a lot. It wasn't a time-pass kind of a relationship, neither from his side nor mine.

We went to America; we both had never been there earlier. We thought we'd start all over again. His idea was to start organising shows over there legitimately. That was his dream. Believe me he was working really hard at it. He tried his best. But his past was something he couldn't erase and it always caught up with him.