Mr. Saxena

                        Well, he had two sons and a beautiful daughter. He worked for a reasonably large company, earning enough to provide for his family few luxuries like occasional long distance drives, eating out at select restaurants and the likes. He also entertained guests at home. His wife was a typical homemaker, with her mind totally occupied with her children, husband and of course the house.
                    She had been in her younger days, a very bubbly girl thinking she owned the world. But then 'love' took away that ownership. She liked Manoj whose sister was her friend. The sister would go on endlessly about her brother, how he took care of the family, being the eldest. How after the death of their father, he had taken up the responsibility. Maya of course, was smitten by 'Manoj tales as well as himself'. She used to watch tons of films and old Hindi movies were all about the girl yearning to soak up her hero's sorrow like a sponge and provide him with cushions of happiness in return. And that prevailed in her mind when they got married. However the post marital bliss, like it does eventually, faded off. Reason ? The very responsible nature of Manoj now got on her nerves. Moreover he didn't allow her to work and so she who dreamed in her college days of being 'the working woman with bundle of notes shuffling in the purse', was reduced to housework.  She loved her kids and she loved her home/husband enough to sacrifice her 'career ambitions'.
                Mr. Manoj Saxena, because of his position in the family demanded authority. No one dare disobey him in the family. And he was finicky about how the house was kept. He would walk into the kitchen to find dust on the mixer or the dirt on the switches..He would tell Maya to keep them clean. He would help her too occasionally. But then there would be lectures on how to manage cooking/cleaning/bringing up kids etc. He loved to watch the movies, catch up on sports-stock market-current news etc in the thing called TV, read half a dozen newspapers...daily. He kept the details of every expenditure in the house. He managed his finances well. In short he was methodical and was right most of the times like all 'Men of the house'.
                 Scene change. Both sons get married and the daughter too. The daughter getting married was painful. Two Software professionals in the form of daughter in laws plus his own sons in good positions..what more could he ask for. He retired. Maya was happy taking care of the kitchen while the young generation went out to work. Breakfast in the Saxena house hold was a hurried affair. Riddhi, Mira would gulp down the cereals before they left for work while the sons would eat mom made breakfast. The girls weren't sold on the elaborate breakfast ritual. Mr. Saxena felt disappointed. He would have breakfast with his wife later. Actually she thought he should be happy as they both got to eat together. Not him...because he thought the world about his sons. Though his sons were very loving, they now had 'wives' in their lives.
               Maya and Manoj left for a trip to Simla, with some of their friends for two weeks. The children dropped them off at the airport and came back to the house for a lavish party at home with food and drinks ordered from their favourite restaurants. Oh ! what fun ? Being able to operate your own house felt good thought Riddhi and Mira. Both of them cooked for their husbands, hired a full time maid in the house to help them with the chopping/cutting/kneading/grinding work plus the dusting and the laundry work. Well, the husbands were happy to see their wives happy and secretly felt proud that their wives worked, yet cared enough to keep up the house.
                     Mr. Saxena came back from a fun filled trip to a house he didn't recognise. The furniture had been shifted in the drawing room, curtains changed...His room was left untouched. He was furious but didn't show. Maya's kitchen had turned topsy turvy. What were these girls upto ? They decided to have a word with their sons. The guys had something else to say,' Ma / Pops, cummon, let them do what they want, after all this is the beginning of their married life. If they are ready to take up the responsibility, let them...and you two relax. Enough of running the household all these years. Now we will take care of you. So just chill ok ?' And they went off to their respective bedrooms. 'Relax'..Actually that should have sounded musical to Mr. and Mrs. Saxena but strangely it didn't. No they didn't want to relax. They had run this house all these years and how could they be deprived of it ? Both had a long discussion that night. It was time for their sons and daughter in laws to run their houses too. Maya and Manoj had never felt lighter after they made a decision that night.
                At the dinner table the next day, Mr. Saxena wrote two cheques for both of his sons. He wanted both of them to buy a 1 BHK apartment. That's all he could afford to give them right now. They could start their marital lives in an entirely new set up. Riddhi and Mira could have whatever arrangements they wanted. The children were thrilled with this unexpected surprise and no wonder Maya and Manoj were two most admired persons in their lives ! Their sister too after having a short stint in the joint family, was now shifting to her own apartment.