The Kajra re crooner Alisha Chinai turned 49 this week (on 18 March) with a quiet birthday at her residence in Alibag with only her dad for company. Said the enchanting songstress of many a chartbusters in the past decade, “I’ve been on my own for many years now. And I’d be pretending if I said I didn’t miss that someone special in my life. It’s been very tough on me to be companion-less. Lekin love meri fitrat aur kismet mein nahin. Grahon se balwaan koi nahin hota. It’s better to accept the karmic truth than to keep searching for something that destiny has not willed for you and hurt yourself repeatedly by trying to get it.” Alisha was married to Rajesh Jhaveri in the 1980s. They separated after her career took off. In 2003 she was in a serious relationship with a Canadian musician-entrepreneur Romel Kazzouah. The two of them almost made it to the altar before they broke up. Sighs Alisha, “I am a giver in any relationship. I gave everything I could to make my relationships work. But fate had other plans. I’d be lying if I said I don’t miss love in my life, of course I do. But after so many years love has become a fantasy in my head rather than a reality on my bed. Reality bites. And I’ve to admit I am better off alone. Love sounds better in a song. I am happy being the queen in my own castle.” Today with the slump in the music industry and the fight over royalty with a leading recording company Alisha is happy crooning a song once in a while. The last time she sang for a film it was for composer Rajesh Roshan in Krissh 3. But Alisha is now poised to cut her own album. “I am still smiling and I am ready for a comeback. I am a Karma-leon.” Looking back the singer is grateful for all she has received. “Some people crib about the thorns in the roses. I am grateful there are some roses in a bouquet of thorns! My life has not been a bed of roses. My failures have inspired me more than my success.” Alisha was delighted to be inundated with birthday wishes on twitter. “It was exhausting but very satisfying. I didn’t realize I had so many diehard fans! It feels good. Yeah, life is beautiful.”