The couple's joint statement read, "18 years of togetherness as friends, couple as parents and well-wishers to each other The journey has been the growth, understanding, adjusting and adapting. Today we stand at a place where our paths separate.... Aishwaryaa and I have decided to part ways as a couple and take time to understand us as individuals for the better. Please do Respect our decision and give us the needed privacy to deal with this."