‘This is my hidden room…’: Aayush Sharma and Arpita Khan reveal they use separate bedrooms; how personal space can strengthen relationships

As the tour continued, revealing that they like to relax in separate bedrooms, Aayush said, “Yeh Arpita aur Ahil ka kamra hai (This is Arpita and Ahil’s bedroom) but they have encroached on my private bedroom. This is my hidden room and this is my private area, where I relax. But now, Arpita has decided to use this couch, taking away my privacy.” Farah joked, “Tum log yaha cricket khelte ho? (Do you play cricket here?)” about the large living room, and Aayush replied, “Arpita has a habit of making big houses, but using just three corners (sic).”

But can maintaining separate rooms or personal spaces under the same roof strengthen a couple’s relationship?

Gurleen Baruah, existential psychotherapist at That Culture Thing, tells indianexpress.com, “It depends on why the space exists. If the choice is made consciously — out of care for each other’s rhythms, rest needs, or simply a preference for solitude — it can actually strengthen the bond. The room then becomes a place to retreat, not to escape. It respects that two people in a relationship are still individuals, with their histories, bodies, and ways of being in the world.” 

On the other hand, she stresses that if the space becomes a silent protest, a form of avoidance, or an emotionally frozen wall — then yes, it may grow into emotional distance. It’s not the room that determines the health of a relationship — it’s the intention behind it, and the honesty around it.

 

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Importance of physical space and personal privacy in long-term partnerships

“It is incredibly important,” highlights Baruah. Especially in homes with children, she says, where the demands on time and energy are constant, having even a corner that is yours — physically or emotionally — can be lifesaving. “Long-term love isn’t about merging into one blurred identity. It’s about two full people who choose to meet each other, again and again. Space allows people to think, to feel, to reset. When each partner has room to breathe—not just metaphorically but literally—it protects their well-being, their individuality, and often, their desire,” states Baruah. 

Healthy ways through which couples can navigate conflicts or the need for emotional boundaries

The first step is naming the need, without blame. Baruah explains, “Every couple has invisible lines of ‘this is where I begin, and where you do too.’ These boundaries can take the form of separate routines, quiet time, or even symbolic separations like sleeping apart during tense phases. What matters is that both people know why it’s happening. Communication here is crucial, not to solve the conflict immediately, but to honour the discomfort. Space should not feel like rejection. It should feel like an invitation to pause, reflect, and return with more presence.”