Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya recently opened up about a frightening experience from their Europe trip during a candid conversation on Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa’s podcast. The couple recalled being robbed in Italy.
As the conversation unfolded, Haarsh shared his own terrifying moment from a trip abroad. While talking about the risks tourists face, he remembered getting robbed during his honeymoon with Bharti in Europe. He described how a man suddenly hit his shoulder and aggressively asked, “What do you want?” The suddenness of the move left him stunned. In a matter of seconds, the man and a group of four to five others disappeared into the crowd. Haarsh didn’t even realize he had been robbed until much later. He said that they took his gold chain, which was thin, so he didn’t notice right away. It was only days later that he figured out it was gone.
Divyanka and Vivek, hearing Haarsh’s story, related instantly. Vivek asked which country it had happened in, and Haarsh confirmed it was Rome. On hearing that, Vivek remarked, “Rome is the epicentre of robbery.” This statement struck a chord as both couples had faced similar experiences in the same city.
Bharti joined the conversation with an anecdote of her own. She recalled how before their second trip to Europe with their son Golla, they had come across Vivek and Divyanka’s travel vlog detailing the robbery incident. That video made them extra cautious. Bharti shared, “We were heading for our second Europe trip with Golla and we saw your vlog. Haarsh had literally ordered locks for the trip.” The fear of theft while traveling was so real that it made them change their travel plans and gear up for safety.
Haarsh then offered a serious warning to listeners and viewers. He urged people traveling to Europe, especially Rome, to be extremely careful as theft was widespread. According to him, these cities have countless incidents of bag slashing and pickpocketing. What’s worse is that thieves sometimes replace the stolen money with fake currency, leading to more trouble later.
The conversation took a deeper turn when Divyanka revealed that she had once written to Italy’s Prime Minister, expressing her anger over the lack of protection for tourists. She said, “I had written to their PM as well that most Indians save a hefty amount for that one Europe Tour, and in such cases how can you not protect the tourists who are actually giving you business by visiting your country? There is zero protection there.” Her frustration was evident as she spoke about how tourists, especially Indian travelers, often become easy targets.
Haarsh added another concerning detail about how locals often assume that Indian tourists are wealthy and inexperienced. He explained that there’s a dangerous belief that Indians traveling abroad have little exposure, making them soft targets for theft. He remarked that pickpockets in those cities can cut through bags and snatch valuables without a trace. He said it’s a calculated move, and once it’s done, you won’t realize what’s missing until much later.
Their stories reflected how what starts as a dream holiday can turn stressful within moments.
