Actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt has opened up about her separation from former husband Manish Makhija, revealing that loneliness, not conflict, was what ultimately led her to walk away from their marriage.In a conversation with Vickey Lalwani, Pooja spoke about her relationship with Makhija, whom she married in a private ceremony in Goa in August 2003 after the two met while working on her directorial debut Paap. After more than 11 years of marriage, the couple separated in 2014 by mutual consent.Pooja said one of the biggest misconceptions people had about her divorce was that there had to be someone else in her life.“A lot of my friends asked me, ‘You’ve been married for 11 years. Why are you ending the marriage? Is there someone else?’ The answer was no. There was nobody else. I wasn’t even thinking about another person.”Instead, she said the real issue was emotional isolation.“I ended my marriage because I felt lonely in that relationship. When you are living with someone and still feel alone, that relationship has stopped being a relationship. You slowly lose each other while living under the same roof. I told him that our relationship had begun with friendship and trust. I never looked over your shoulder and I never will. But I felt it was over. We had lost each other, and somewhere along the way, I had lost myself as a woman. I wanted myself back. It would have been a lie to continue the marriage, and I cannot live a lie,” she said.ALSO READ: Tanishaa Mukerji says sister Kajol funded her vintage Mumbai home: ‘She signs the cheques’‘I would not blame another person for my unhappiness’Pooja said taking ownership of her own happiness played a major role in her decision to separate.Story continues below this ad“I was very clear that I would not spend the rest of my life blaming another person for my unhappiness.”Today, she says she has reached a place of peace and self-acceptance.“I am the captain of my own ship. I have been fortunate to have wonderful relationships in my life, but today I am enjoying the most profound and sacred relationship of all — the relationship I have with myself.”The actress added that she remains open to finding love again but is no longer searching for someone to complete her.Story continues below this ad“I am content. I am open to a relationship, but I am not looking for a solution. I am looking for a companion in the truest sense of the word. If one comes along, wonderful. If not, life is still good.”Pooja didn’t want childrenPooja also revealed that her feelings about motherhood became an important indicator that her marriage was not working.“One of the reasons I knew my marriage wasn’t working was that I didn’t want to have children. I love children, but the desire to become a mother never came. I was working throughout my thirties and had many things I wanted to do. But the feeling of becoming a mother simply wasn’t there. I listened to my body and my instincts.”According to Pooja, not having children allowed both her and Makhija to make difficult decisions without having to factor in the impact on a child.Story continues below this ad“Fortunately, we didn’t have children, so we could think honestly about what was right for us.”How the friendship faded after the divorcePooja married VJ-turned-restaurateur Manish Makhija in a private ceremony in Goa in 2003. The couple announced their separation in 2014 after more than a decade together.Interestingly, Pooja said the end of the marriage was initially not the end of their friendship.“Even after our marriage ended, we remained friends because I believed there was mutual respect between us.”However, that changed over time.Story continues below this ad“Munish and I don’t speak anymore. We haven’t spoken for a very long time. There was a period when I genuinely thought we were friends. Then the lockdown happened, and I think it changed people in many ways. Masks came on, but certain masks also came off. We had a friendship, or at least I thought we did. But if a friendship cannot survive difficult times, then perhaps it wasn’t friendship at all. It couldn’t withstand the test of time.”Despite the distance that has grown between them, Pooja said she harbours no bitterness.“I truly wish him well. There is no malice, no resentment. I have moved on.”DISCLAIMER: This article discusses personal reflections on marriage separation, emotional isolation, and relationship transitions for informational and entertainment purposes. It is an expression of personal experiences and should not be construed as professional relationship or psychological advice.