World's Greatest Husband

I happened to experience my elder brother's wedding last weekend. Masha Allah they were looking fabulous... Nazar na lagey. During the ups and downs of the whole marriage, I got a unique thought, which I'd never got while attending the 51 odd marriages till now. Now I'm beginning to feel there's some locha going on in my mechanism of understanding. Anyways, getting back to the topic.

When a woman marries a man, she leaves her house, her family, her upbringing, even her name, just to fulfil a social obligation known as marriage. She doesn't know what lies ahead of her. Yet, she forsakes all that has, till date, defined her, to take up a new identity, live in a new world, in a new family, with new relationships and a new name, "Mrs. (her name) (her HUSBAND's name) (HUSBAND's surname). She does all this for the sake of a man who has made her acceptable in the society by marrying her.

But, on the flip-side, she has to share this one person with an'other' woman... Her husband's mother ( known as mother-in-law or in India  'saas'). When a woman has done so much for a man, the least a man can do is be just to her?

What does the husband have to do for his wife? Make her comfortable in all situations, Explain her viewpoint in times of conflict, Be just to her during a conflict (read: saas-bahu jhagda), Take her side during arguements and Highlight her stand as the better and ideal. Always keep her happy with gifts and treats. Take her out every day, if not, then every weekend. Give her a free hand when she wants to shop. Not look at the expenses and grudge about how much more has been spent this month. Never listen to what his mother says about her, taking it to be falsified and concocted!

But then, what about the husband's mother? Should he leave the woman who has brought him to this world, nourished him for nine months in her womb, took care of him since birth till she passes away and fought for him with every possible person in this world (sometimes, his father too!) Where is it written that a man should leave his mother (who did all that which I just listed and many more incomprehensible things which no one would ever understand, save a mother) for a woman, whom he has barely known for a quarter or so, of his life? Hah! Talk about cowardice and irony!

But then, what is "World's Greatest Husband'? Is it a myth? Can it ever exist in today's world? I don't think there exists any such person. Then, what's the purpose behind our dialogue? Have I wasted your time? Certainly not.

The "World's Greatest Husband" can be a reality. How can you define "World's Greatest Husband"???


World's Greatest Husband is the man who can create a relationship of trust, harmony and understanding between his mother and his wife.

World's Greatest Husband is the man who makes his wife treat his mother like her own mother, like a friend-philosopher-guide and makes her mother accept his wife, not as a threat, but as her own daughter and her friend.

World's Greatest Husband is the man who knows that, in relationships, one can never be right or wrong, correct or incorrect... There can be only 'compromise'. Even the compromise is, many times, not fair and just. But, he will make sure neither his mother, nor his wife have grudges against each other.

Well then, who is World's Greatest Husband?

If you're a man reading this, it can be you! Not that I'm telling that we live in an ideal world, where we can become all that we desire... But we can try to incorporate all that we can in us, so that we don't betray either.

Cheers!