Anupamaa actress Adrija Roy is trading big birthday parties for a quiet getaway this year. The actress turns a year older on July 4, and she's marking the occasion in Switzerland with her fiancé, Vignuesh.

For Adrija, it isn't about the destination so much as the company. Both she and Vignuesh have hectic work schedules, so carving out this time together already feels like the real gift. She's planning to explore new places, try good food, and simply soak in the moment rather than turn it into a packed itinerary. Big bashes have never really been her thing — she'd rather sit down to a home-style dinner with family and close friends than host a large gathering. Good food, familiar faces and a lot of laughter, she says, are what actually stick in her memory.

Wherever she happens to be on her birthday, a few personal rituals never change. Her morning starts with a prayer of thanks to Durga Maa, followed by seeking blessings from her parents — a gesture she says means a great deal to her. She also sets aside a few quiet minutes to look back on the year gone by, reminding herself to stay thankful for what she has.

Television actors often find themselves working through their birthdays, caught up in shoot schedules. Adrija says she's largely been spared that fate, crediting the DKP production team for consistently giving her the day off so she can spend it with people she loves.

Asked about the most meaningful gift she's ever received, her answer has nothing to do with material things. She calls life itself her biggest blessing, pointing to good health, the people around her, and simply waking up each day with something to look forward to as far more valuable than any object. If she could gift herself something money can't buy, she says it would be peace of mind and the ability to stay grateful no matter what life brings.

Family remains at the center of it all. Her parents have always anchored her birthday celebrations, and she says Vignuesh and his family have now become just as important a part of that circle — making every birthday, in her words, feel complete.