“We had been married for 7 years and still did not have a child. My wife was being pressurized by both our families. Sadly, only she was being questioned, not me. We are from a traditional middle class family and she was sidelined during domestic functions as it was considered inauspicious for a woman without her own off-springs to perform rituals.

I could not bear to see my wife being put through this kind of mental pressure, so I suggested her to either look at adoption or to look into fertilization treatments, out of which she opted for the latter. The treatment went on for a little over a year and made my wife very weak. After several courses of medication and innumerable prayers, she became pregnant and we were very happy. Little did we know that, that the next 9 months were going to be even more difficult. My wife was advised complete bed-rest, so she had to leave her job.

None of our family members offered to help us out at this time, so we vacated our house and moved into a hostel which is close to the hospital for the convenience of my wife. Being the only earning member, I could not afford to take a break from my work, so I had to balance between looking after my wife and work. She was not allowed to even get up from the bed if she wanted to go to the toilet. My days started at 6AM and ended at 11PM as I had to cook three meals, clean the hostel room, and shuttle between office and the hostel during lunchtime to feed my wife. I know this is the usual routine for many people, but it was very difficult for me to balance both and also look at my wife suffer so much. I used to leave her alone daily, with a heavy heart, and she used to smile despite the pain she was going through.

I bought many books and CDs to keep herself occupied while I was away at work. 9 long months passed by and we got to hold our little bundle of joy in our arms. That is the happiest moment of both our lives! My wife is a strong lady and went through so many hardships, mentally and physically, and all I could do was just support her. I just hope every man realises that a woman goes through so many hardships and it is our duty to support her mentally, financially, physically and give her the time and respect she deserves.”