Bollywood and love stories go hand in hand. Ajay made sure he took in all the best lessons the Hindi movies had to teach him.

Just like any other smart Bollywood hero from the 70’s, Ajay befriended his sister’s friend from her college. And that is how Nandini became a regular at his home. In 1982, he proposed to her and the couple dated for four mega years before tying the tam-taming wedding.

“But, like that poor hero, I, too, had the pressure to start making a handsome livelihood before bringing her to my home,” laughed Ajay.

The proposal that he made back then was memorable, however, today, Ajay prefers ‘Kachnaar ki Kali’ over any other exotic flower to flaunt his love to his beloved wife. He even has a Kachnaar tree planted in his garden! 

Très filmy, eh?

I have seen him cook along with his wife whenever his son (my friend) invites us over for dinner. I needed no proof clarifying that he is a help in the kitchen.

Ajay noted, “Nandini is a working woman, and despite her schedule, she makes sure she cooks for all of us. She enjoys cooking and is a fabulous cook. Ummm…but it is safe to say that I can cook chicken the best!”

From Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, and Dev Anand, he’d also learned tricks to keep his lady happy.

He remembered, “For our first date, I bought her a tee-shirt with a message written on it – A Touch of Class. She still has it.”

Extremely friendly, I wanted to know how they manage their time with their elderly parents and two grown-up sons. Ajay explained, “When our second son, Dhwaj, was born, we divided our roles. Since the newborn needed the mother more than the father, I decided to spend most of my time with Arjun, the elder one. We never wanted our elder son to feel left out, which most of the parents complain about. The concept of equal parenting helped us build a beautiful family. The concept still works in our family. When one partner is not available, the other takes over. However, Nandini has a very strict rule at home – all of us must gather to have at least one meal of the day together.”

Taking this cinematic love-story forward, I challenged him for a rapid-fire. Did he make a blockbuster out of it? Check out!

Which spice is your wife?

Mirchi!

And, you?

Salt!

Aisa Kyu?

Both of us have added something into each other’s life, hence, balancing the relationship.

Which color does she look best in?

Every.

Nope, this is not going to make you win the Best Husband Award.

Nowayyyy!

Lol. Who is a cleanliness freak?

We have never given each other a chance to complain!

One habit of yours that she wants to beat hard?

She says I am not expressive.

That’s not true. Look at you banging your head while trying hard to produce loud drumbeats.

See, that’s what I have been trying to tell her all these years. I hope this surprise will change her perception.

What’s your date-night movie?

Mughal-e-Azam.

Seriously? And I thought you’re a rock n roll fan. I see you partying at F-bar every other day!

Mughal-e-Azam is here to stay, dear.

One song for her?

All the romantic gazals of Jagjit Singh.

What’s your key to beautiful marriage?

We haven’t stopped exploring each other. We still get excited listening to the plans we make for us. Both of us like to dress up and attend the same parties our kids are attending. I think we are rocking it so far.

 

JWB is celebrating Karwa Chauth with three amazing Jaipur husbands who share their stories of how they help their wives in the household chores. With various utensils used as the musical instruments, they tell us what makes their marriages beautifully melodic. Welcome to the campaign Hus-BAND. In the evening when their wives will be all the set to witness the beauty of the moon, the husbands, along with Team JWB, will surprise them. How? Keep an eye! xoxo