My tryst with destiny

My friend in Experience Project ‘Jim Barndt’ is asking questions as to how I became a Househusband. I had promised him that I shall post my whole Life story on my Blog up to my marriage and my first night. Here is the first part -

“Let’s see what the fate has in store for me. Things are so bad that they cannot go worse” Thought I when my stepmother was on phone with my future wife. She was responding to an ad given by G in newspaper for a househusband. “Yes yes, he is expert in all household work” she said. Listening to the response from the other side, she smiled and said “ok. We shall wait for you on coming Sunday”.

My step mother had always trained me to be a househusband. She had refused to get me admission in a college after my 10+2 and I was doing all household work while my half brother and sister went to the college. Her logic was that when I leave this household, my right on the property of my father shall stand extinguished.

   

G and her father came to meet me on Sunday. My mother had forbidden me to speak unless a direct question is asked and even then I was supposed to speak slowly and keep my head bowed and my eyes on the floor. First her father spoke about what he expected from his future son in law. “Mrs. Gupta, To cut the long story short, I want a virtual housewife for my daughter. Do you and your son agree to it?” he said in the end. When my mother replied in the affirmative, G asked to talk to me alone. In compliance to her request, everyone left the room leaving me and G alone. 

G lit a cigarette and asked me” Mr. Kuldeep, Do you understand the meaning of being a househusband”  I only nodded and kept looking at the floor. “Do you understand that if we are married, I shall be the dominant partner? You shall leave this household and come to live with me in my flat. You will not be doing anything without my permission and you shall be required to show proper respect to myself and my family members. I don’t want any nodding and I want a direct answer this time. Househusband does not mean only doing domestic work. You shall be virtually loosing your identity and take my surname.”

Now I had no alternative. I spoke with my head bowed “I understand and I shall not give you a chance to complain”. G smiled for the first time and said again “I would like my husband to remain in women’s clothing to remind him his place in household at all times. Do you agree? “

It came as a shock. I had worn a saree only a few times on the insistence of my step mother for dance practice and usually wore my sister’s worn-out dresses as my step mother was always short of cash when my turn for buying a new dress came. My half brother was shorter than me but my half sister was tall and stout and her size was a perfect fit. I had enjoyed wearing my sister’s dresses sometimes but it was a different matter altogether to remain in woman’s clothing 24x7. I decided that I had nothing to loose. In fact nothing could be worse than listening to my family members cursing me all the time. “ Your wish is like a divine command for me madam” I said again with my head bowed. G laughed loudly and said “Don’t call me madam. My name is G……. but you shall call me G as in goddess. Your name Kuldeep is also too long. I shall name you Moni”. G went to the door. I thought that she had gone to call our relatives but she locked it from inside and kissed me on my lips. I struggled to free myself from her embrace and realized for the first time that she was more powerful than me. “My dear husband needs breasts. I don’t want you to take hormones for that. They have side effects. I shall get you silicon implants.”

“The wedding shall be in 3 months from now.” Declared G’s father as everyone was congratulating me for my good fortune. “As it happens sir, I am a little short of cash right now and it shall be difficult to arrange at such short notice” said my step mother as she had been short of cash since eternity whenever any money was required to be spent for me. “You don’t need to spend a single penny Mrs. Gupta. It shall be a court marriage and all expenses for his clothes and ornaments shall be borne by us” said G’s father. “As requested by you, my son in law shall also sign an affidavit on the day of wedding renouncing all his rights in your property and wealth.”

I raised my eyes for the first time. Neither G nor her father had discussed this matter with me. I was now beginning to understand what my future status was going to be in the household of my wife. All decisions shall be taken by her and I shall be a mute spectator.