TOI: Gayatri quits the show

After playing Gayatri, Akshara's (Hina Khan) mother-in-law in 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai' for five years, actress Sonali Verma has quit the show. Reason: She is getting married and will shift base to the US, where her husband-to-be Sachin Sachdeva lives.

Though the wedding date is yet to be finalised, Sonali wants to finish her work commitments and leave Mumbai for good. Says she, "I will wrap up the remaining shoot and return to my parents in Delhi. We are yet to decide the date and I am taking one step at a time. It will happen early next year." How did she meet Sachin? "Both of us are originally from Delhi and met through common friends. We started dating over a year ago. He is in the garment industry. It's been a long-distance relationship and only our bank balance knows the kind of fortune we have spent on flight tickets. We have become global jet-setters," says the actress.

Will she miss playing Gayatri? Sonali replies, "I have no idea. I am so overwhelmed with all the developments that I haven't given it a thought." About her co-actors' reactions, she says, "The ones I am close to have been a part of my emotional journey. They knew when I started dating Sachin and when I decided to tie the knot. I am not leaving the show on a bad note or getting replaced. I am leaving with everybody's blessings and wishes. What more could I have asked for? I will definitely miss Mumbai."