Alka Yagnik's career came in the way of her marriage with Neeraj Kapoor, here's how the couple maintained it, despite living in different cities all their life: 'Such a gap between us...'

Alka Yagnik entered the industry at a time when Lata Mangeshkar was still ruling and of course, till date, nobody has been able to reach that level. However, in the 90s, Alka carved her own niche and wooed the audience with her soulful voice.

It's now been four decades since she's been a playback singer and has more than 20,000 songs to her credit. Her romantic duet songs with Udit Narayan and Kumar Sanu and some solos continue to woo the audience over the years. She created an unparalleled place for herself. But do you know that this successful career hugely came in the way of her marriage. In 1989, Alka tied the knot with businessman Neeraj Kapoor, whom she had known through family ties.

“My husband Neeraj Kapoor is a businessman. He has a house in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. We already had family connections. Neeraj’s aunt was my mother’s classmate. I call her mausi. Neeraj is mausi’s nephew. We first met at his house. We both fell in love,” she shared in a Doordarshan interview.The biggest hurdle was that they lived in different cities. While Neeraj lived in Shillong, Alka’s music career was firmly rooted in Mumbai.

Her parents initially objected, fearing the distance would strain the relationship. But the couple stood their ground. “We insisted on getting married. Seeing the insistence of both of us, the family members gave in and we got married,” she recalled.Their initial plan was to divide their time between Shillong and Mumbai. But fate had other ideas. “Then my career suddenly progressed so fast that it became impossible for me to go away from Mumbai for even a day,” she admitted.

The separation took its toll. “My husband always says that I am lucky for your career but unlucky for mine. It was my mistake. I had promised him,” Alka said candidly.Their whirlwind romance moved quickly — they married just two months after falling in love. “We used to talk on the phone at night. When the huge bill came, my mother caught hold of it. However, it was too late by then. I had decided that I had to marry Neeraj only.”Decades later, the two remain married but have spent most of their lives apart. “We have lived in different cities all our lives. Sometimes there is such a gap between us that it takes two-four days to know and understand each other. Many times I feel that I could have spent more time with my husband,” she reflected, adding that Neeraj’s unwavering support has been a cornerstone of her success.