NAGPAPASALAMAT at tinatanaw ni Zayn Malik na malaking utang na loob sa kanyang magulang, lalo na sa kanyang ina, ang pag-aaruga ng mga ito sa kanya para malagpasan niya ang kanyang eating disorder at anxiety.

Nang umalis sa One Direction, inilunsad ng 24-anyos na si Malik ang kanyang solo career, ngunit hindi siya agad nakapagtanghal dahil sa mga problema niya. Lumayo siya sa limelight at naglaan ng quality time sa kanyang tahanan.

“It was a control thing,” paliwanag niya sa The Sunday Times Style Magazine. “Every area of my life was so regimented and controlled, it was the one area where I could say, ‘No, I’m not eating that.’ Once I got over the control, the eating just came back into place, super-naturally. I came back to the U.K. and spent some time with my mum and got some TLC, and she cooked me food, and I got back in touch, mentally, with a lot of the things I’d lost.” Dagdag pa niya, “I now have no problem with anxiety. It was something I was dealing with in the band.”

Nang ibunyag ang mga pinagdaanan ito sa kanyang autobiography, ibinahagi niya na nagulat siya sa naging tugon ng publiko. “People saw strength in that, and they didn’t seem to expect it from a guy, but they expect it from a female, which to me is crazy. We’re all human. People are often afraid to admit difficulties, but I don’t believe that there should be a struggle with anything that’s the truth,” patuloy niya.

“If you were a guy, you used to have to be really masculine, but now expressing emotion is accepted and respected.”

Kung malaki ang naitulong ng kanyang mga magulang sa kanyang recovery, malaki rin ang naging suporta ng kanyang 21-anyos na girlfriend at supermodel na si Gigi Hadid. Bagamat hindi pa nakararating si Gigi sa hometown ni Malik, nakita na nito ang mga mahal sa buhay ng binata.

“I’ve never taken her to Bradford, not yet. She’s met my family in London a few times, though,” aniya.

Sa kabila ng mga pinagdaanang pagsubok, patuloy na nagsisikap si Zayn na magantihan ang pagmamahal, malasakit at atensiyon sa kanya ni Gigi.

Inamin din niya na sinubukan niyang isorpresa ang supermodel sa Fashion Week sa Paris nitong unang bahagi ng taon.

“She didn’t know I was coming. I went up to the suite to knock on the door,” aniya. “But my number had changed to European on her phone, so it wasn’t much of a surprise in the end. She played along with it, though.”

Ibinunyag din niya na ilang buwan na niyang kasamang nakatira si Gigi sa bahay niya sa Bel-Air at tinatawag niya itong “Gee” at ang tawag naman ng modelo sa kanya ay “Zee. (Yahoo Celebrity)