“I will be late today… I have got some important meetings……….yes, I know.., Rahul got some temperature… so what, you can take him to Doc …. Look Rajiv, he is not my son alone, you also got the responsibility as the father…. I don’t have time to argue with you.. I told you, I will be late today, Ok?. Kavita hung up the phone with a bang.

Sriyesh  was listening Kavita  talking to her husband over phone. Kavita is an office colleague.. bright, ambitious and articulate.  She is a clear headed modern woman who firmly put everything before her career. She firmly believes that husband and wife have equal responsibility in a family life whether it is about rearing the child or earning the bread.  That day, when she left for office in the morning she noticed that her 3 year old son was running temperature. It was slightly higher than 100.  She had given him 5 ml. of Crossin syrup which would have normally taken care of the temperature. She had also instructed the ‘Aaya’  to keep a watch on him and feed him properly. In the afternoon she had checked up with the ‘Aaya’  and she said that the temperature is back.. Kavita had a Seminar to attend along with her boss in the evening. It was a biz promotion event being organized by one of those MNCs to launch a product. The Seminar will be followed by a cocktail dinner and her boss was keen to attend it. He suggested that Kavita should also go along. Being a working lady has its own hassles. She cannot be unduly worried about the child and home if she wants to climb up the ladders. After all, it is only fair that her husband should also shoulder the responsibility of the child equally for the child is his son too.

For a moment, Kavita’s conversation took Sriyesh down memory lane. He contrasted Kavita’s views with his own wife’s stand on a similar issue. Priya had a decent job when Sriyesh married her. He wanted her to continue in the job for it will keep her involved through out the day. Otherwise, all alone in the flat she would be bored to death, he thought.  Priya was also happy that she can continue with her job after the marriage. But, once she became a mother all her perspectives changed abruptly. She insisted that she must quit the job so that she can be with the child all along, tending him, feeding him, playing with him, seeing him grow up.  She can do all these even without quitting the job, Sriyesh insisted, but she would not relent. “Do you want me to earn to run the household, Sri?”, she was in the brink of crying.  “No, my dear… I just want you to be engaged”, he cajoled her. “Yes, I am engaged with my child and you must be happy with my decision”, she said with a finality in her voice.

Leaning back on the arm chair Sriyesh stared at the ceilings as if to find an answer to the contrasting view points of the two ladies on a rather  similar point.