Mumbai : The 'other woman' in Rajesh Khanna's life, Anju Mahendru has said, she was holding the actor's hand when he took his last breath on Wednesday morning.
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who first met Anju after her break-up with Khanna in the house he gifted her, tol Mumbai Mirror, "After I learnt of Khanna's death through the media, I thought of Anju because I knew she would be affected by his death.
"I managed to reach her late at night and learnt that Khanna and Anju had got together in the last years of his life.
"She used to take care of his medical needs and even accompanied him to hospital. Holding back her tears, she told me, 'My only consolation is that I was holding his hand when he took his last breath'."
Bhatt added, "It is really heartbreaking to see that she had to take a strange route to reconnect with her first love."
Khanna's friend journalist Bharathi Pradhan said, "Kaka and Anju had become friends much before he fell ill. When he bought a new office, Anju used to work with him.
" He also told me how happy he was when Anju told him that she had bought a car. That is the kind of relationship they shared."
She added, "Anju had given an interview to a publication after Kaka got married, hinting that he continued visiting her home."
On Thursday morning, Anju was there with Khanna's family at the Pawan Hans crematorium.
Anju could not hold back her tears when she saw Khanna's grandson Aarav light the pyre. A source said, "Both she and Dimple cried. Rinke held on to her mother even as Anju's tears continued to roll down her face."
