disclaimer: am only watching this show for the train wreck factor and am not on any team. neither nandini, mouli or kunal. Taken from @mango_pudding with her permission
Some years back, I read or saw somewhere a story about this housewife. Everyday from morning to evening, she used to spend time taking care of her family, house, cooking meals thus ensuring all her family members have a comfortable and happy life. She was doing all that work everyday with no expectation but just a tiny hope, that in the evening, the husband will come, talk to her, share opinions and most importantly appreciate her efforts. This never happened, because the husband would come home tired, watch news, eat food and sleep and the same story would repeat. She would wait and wair and with each passing day, her smile would diminish a little. To an outsider, theirs was a perfect happy marriage but was it really? If given a choice between the big house vs the few minutes of your husbands time everyday, what would you choose?
Coming back to Kunal and Mauli relationship, all we saw Kunal asking Mauli was a "couple time", but every time she had to leave for an emergency. Being a modern husband and doctor at that, he understood the pressure on her time and he compromised. But when the same things happens again and again, wouldn't a person be miffed and feel unwanted as if the work is been given priority. Wouldn't this have created a small crack somewhere in that happy facade?
Let come to the saree. Its his dear wish to see hear in saree. He is not asking her to wear it everyday but once on special occasions. I know the "saree" word screams traditional so let put its as a small wish. So, if your husband wishes you to do something,once in a while, will you not do it? Or being a modern husband does not allow you to wish anything from your wife? Same goes for the wife, if she wishes to see her husband in Blue Shirt (sorry i could not think about anything else), will he not wear it or will he refuse? And if he keep refusing, will it not hurt you a teensy weensy bit?
Moving on, we see Kunal fulfilling all her wishes, especially related to Nandini be it not asking for her name (he used to call her anamika), not speaking about her, and later driving to her house in the middle of the night to ensure that she is safe or taking Nandini for all her different appointment. He does them with no objection and all he asks in return is their "Me time". But does he ever get it ? So looking at it only from Kunal perspective, in this "give and take" relationship that marriage is, he is the giver and she is the taker. Don't you think all this might have irked him a little bit at that subconscious level just before he must be going to sleep as you mentioned along with all her "Par Jaana's 😊" of the day.(Yes they are cute)
Yes, I know Mauli is building the clinic for him by sacrificing their Saturday time, but does he know it and did he really ask for it. Mauli knows she is not able to give the required time to their relationship and hence being a very practical person that she is , she is compensating it with practical things not realizing that Kunal would have chosen her any day of the time. This here is the major difference in their thinking. If he had a choice between the Saturday time with Mauli and the clinic, what would he have chosen? Also, thus, does wishing for "Me time" make him a bad traditional person or just a human being with emotional needs.
And, yes, men do have emotional needs, much more than women. In my social circles, I have lost count of how many times I have heard that "my husband is like my child, he needs more pampering than my kid". And this is a very true and a common statement. The reason for this is, from a very young age they are conditioned that way because mother and especially Indian mothers spoil their kids rotten. Thus from a very young age most men have this immense need to be taken care of at home. Does that make them less manly, unimpressive, traditional or just men.
Looking at Kunal, he knows his wife is insecure in the kitchen/looks and she does not like to wear saree. Thus he has always strived to make her comfortable, quick to come to her defense when needed thus making him a very understanding husband. All he asked was a compromise from her for his wish to see her in saree once in every blue moon and little time with her. May be in his mind, that time was his appreciation, the pampering that he craved and who does not like that. All of us strive hard for that appreciation be it from our parents, in laws, husband or boss. One small ounce of appreciation can bring a smile to our face and turn a bad day into a good day. Does having this need make him a traditional husband?
I know what I described above are very small things but they say right, every drop makes an ocean. I am not defending Kunal here nor criticizing Mauli but all I am trying to say is that Marriage is that one bond which requires constant nurturing and with every can of water missed, the chance of it drying increases. Even without Nandini, one day Kunal would have realized that he is compromising and though he has satisfactory life, he is not fully happy.
PS: My story at the start of this write-up is incomplete but the post became too long and this is Kunal's story, so I did not want to digress.
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