/> A fun cruise in Mumbai's inviting sea on Christmas night almost cost Aryan Vaid his life.

Shivering at the memory Aryan recalls, "Anupama and I along with other couple-friends decided to go out into the sea in little boats. It seemed like a fun idea. And it was. With Anupama and my friends for company I had never felt better."

The catastrophy happened when Aryan was changing boats. "We all were supposed to get out of the small boats and into a big one. I had one feet in one boat and the other feet in the other, when the big boat moved. Before I knew it I was in the water sinking downwards."

Didn't Aryan know how to swim? "Of course I can swim! But have you tried swimming in that deep water at 4.am in the morning with your clothes and boots on, and your mobile in your hand? My phone immediately slipped out of my hand and I've lost all my numbers. But at that time it was the least of my worries. All I could think of was how to get out of the water."

After a tense 5-minute wait for Anupama Verma and his friends, Aryan finally swam back to safety. "My friends didn't know what to do. It was the most horrifying experience of our lives. And it wasn't as if I was drunk or anything. I was stone sober, not a drop of alchohol inside me."

Aryan sees this as his rebirth. "Bigg Boss has given a renewed recognition. 2007 is going to hopefelly bring lots of changes in my life. On my career front I've Anil Sharma's Apne where I play the main villain opposite the Deols, Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby.

I learnt kick-boxing from a trainer from Hong Kong to prepare for the role. On the personal front, love is very much in the air. But I need to convince Anupama that she's my true love. Unfortunately my reputation has reached her long before I did."