Monica’s back from where she started out

Speaking to mediapersons in the courtyard of the family’s old haveli, she said, “I have left my future to my family, they know what is best for me.” Her father Prem Kumar Bedi and uncle Purshottam Lal were by her side.

When asked about Abu Salem, she replied quietly, “No comments.”

The girl whose Bollywod dreams were cut short by her liaison with the underworld, let everyone know that she was back on the track. “I have received many offers from the film industry, but I can’t disclose the details.” Her future, she asserted, was in films. “I won’t go abroad.”

And no, she did not face any threat from the underworld. “The media has tried to spice up my case, but it’s a simple passport case.”

She made no bones about her eagerness to bury her past. “I will try to forget my past, unfortunate events are best forgotten,” she declared as almost the entire village poured in to have a glimpse of her.

Monica was philosophical about life behind bars. “It was a learning experience. I have come out a much stronger person, now I can face any odds. The prison life has taught me to distinguish the good from the bad.

“How long do you think you will stay here, you’re used to Norway, Portugal…” asked a reporter from Delhi. “I’ve just arrived,” she shrugged. “It’s my native village, if I can stay in jail, why can’t I stay here.”