The Power Of True Love

Deepak Shrivastava was chatting with his friends in a tea stall outside his apartment in Kanpur. He initiated the conversation by asking, " All of you must have heard about #Metoo movement. What is your opinion about it?" One of his friends Harish responded, " Women's liberation is at its peak. We are paying for our past sins. I don't approve of the idea of raking up an issue of the past after 20 years. People should not wait for an auspicious occasion to file a police complaint."

Another friend named Govind spoke up, " This is a good campaign. I feel like starting a #Metoo for harassed husbands like us. I am sure it would be overflooded with pleas for help." They enjoyed their discussion over a hot cup of tea.

Ramesh joined in the conversation.

He said, " We can't deny that we have been suppressing them from centuries together. They have discovered their voice rather late.

This storm will gradually blow over in a few days. Do you remember how the Nirbhaya case rocked the nation? Did the poor soul get any justice? They will give up fighting for justice after some time. Don't bother about these issues. I think we should seriously consider Govind's idea of starting a campaign for men. We are jobless for the past one month. We can set up a counseling center for men to deal with their marital problems."

Deepak voiced his opinion, " It is not feasible to open a center as men may not come forward to discuss their marital dispute. We will launch a website offering a solution to their dilemma." Rest of them agreed with him. They parted ways after paying the vendor.

The four friends worked for the same company Vista International Inc. The company was closed down due to bankruptcy. Their job searching yielded no result as all of them had crossed the maximum age limit.

Deepak came home after 7.30 PM for dinner. His wife Nirmala asked him, " What happened to your job search? Did you have any luck?" He answered, " Not yet. I am going to start a website for helping married men in distress with Harish Ramesh and Govind." " What are you going to teach them?" she asked sarcastically, " I think it should be the art of screwing up women." "Shut up, you idiot, " snapped Deepak, " Do you feel that we have no other issues other than sex?" Nirmala said, " No. Look at yourselves. You are the leader of a pack of hungry wolves. We already have four children in our family. I am expecting the fifth one. People are already making fun of us. I can't abort the fetus as it is too late. Your brain is programmed to think of women as objects of lust. I do admit that there are good men who have strived for the welfare of women. Can you deny that you don't get aroused by semi-nude photos of models? I have seen you enjoying pornography. Don't give any foolish ideas to your so-called clients. This #Metoo movement is proof of your noble deeds. Anyway, I am not going to stop you. I am sure that this website is going to be a disaster. Then I will start a new campaign for you called #I left my brain behind."

"Why don't you keep your big mouth shut? I don't need your advice, " said Deepak. However, he knew that Nirmala was right.

He couldn't back out as his friends would regard him as a coward.

The four friends went ahead and launched a website called www.narpida.com. They used Harish's apartment as their office.

Each of them bought a used laptop from OLX to start their business. They charged a one-time registration fee of Rs.800/-. They linked their bank accounts to this website. Initially, they decided not to charge any fee for the consultation. They wanted to see the response to their services.

Deepak opened his laptop and logged into the website. His friends followed suit. Deepak exclaimed, " Hey, Guys! Listen to this email. A gentleman named Vishnuprasad Gangopadhyay from Kolkatta has sought our help for dealing with his talkative wife, Indu. The poor fellow has developed migraine because of her non-stop blabbering. She doesn't allow him to speak at all. He says that he wants to gag her mouth with cellophane tape or sew up her lips for silence. He wants our advice."

Govind suggested, " He has two options. His first option is to stuff cotton in his ears or use headphone to listen to some music.

Alternatively, he can resort to counterattack by giving her a taste of her own medicine. He should keep talking so that she may not be able to open her mouth."

Deepak liked his suggestion. He sent this advice to Vishnuprasad in response to his query. Harish presented his case before everyone. He quoted, " Mr.Arvind Venugopal of Bengaluru complains that his wife is a spendthrift. She has been splurging money on clothes, her makeup, and accessories. He says that he is tired of her lavishness. She keeps on asking for money every week. He is unable to refuse because he doesn't want to hurt her. What should be the remedy to his problem?" Deepak chipped in, " He should be firm in denying money. He should ask her to earn money and buy whatever she wants. He can also give her a stipulated sum beyond which she should not spend a single dime."

Harish approved of this solution. He replied to Arvind's complaint citing Deepak's advice. Govind grabbed everyone's attention. He said, " Mr.Sumit Sinha from Lucknow says that his wife Shilpa has become very lazy. He also mentions that she does nothing except cooking and packing their lunch. He is unable to concentrate on his office work because of his involvement in household chores. What should I advise him to do?"

Ramesh remarked, " Ask him to feign illness. His acting should be so natural that his wife should believe him and take over most of the chores. A devoted wife can't see her husband in distress. Her laziness will come to an end." The others looked at him with newfound respect.

Govind conveyed him Ramesh's suggestion.

Ramesh came up with another harrowing tale of a wife's harassment. He commented, " Mr. Jaideep Sharma from Mumbai says he has got a nagging wife. She is never satisfied with him as she happens to be his boss at the office. She always criticizes him and finds fault with his work. He wants to slap her for humiliating him in front of his colleagues. He also considers filing for a divorce. What should be his next move?"

Deepak had a criminal mind. He responded, " There is no need to file for a divorce. The litigation costs and alimony will wipe him out. That woman would enjoy her newfound freedom. He should get her sacked by hook or crook. She wouldn't be able to face him at home. He should start criticizing her in front of all his friends and relatives. She should learn to respect her husband and appreciate his good qualities."

The remaining friends liked his idea. Ramesh wasted no time in sending his response. They answered nearly 80 emails earning a whopping 64, O00 Rs.on a single day. Deepak and his friends rejoiced in happiness. Each of them had earned Sixteen thousand rupees. Deepak exclaimed, " My wife Nirmala discouraged me last night from taking up this business. I am going to prove her wrong. I want to see her eating humble pie. Bye, guys! See you tomorrow at 9.OO AM."

They winded up their business for the day and went home. Deepak called Nirmala and boasted about his earnings and suggestion.

Nirmala couldn't control her laughter. She laughed till her stomach ached. " What is so funny?" demanded Deepak.

Nirmala replied, " You have just proved that all of you are a bunch of insensitive idiots. You have not used your intelligence at all.

As far as your income is concerned, I think you are celebrating too early. Haven't you heard of the saying don't count your chickens before they hatch? Why don't you wait and watch the outcome of your silly ideas? I would better carry on with my work before you kill me."

After a couple of months, their clients demanded a refund of their money. They cursed and abused Deepak and his friends in a foul language. Deepak's client Vishnuprasad threatened to sue him for ruining his life. He had acted upon his stupid advice. He had developed laryngitis due to nonstop talking. His boss overlooked him for promotion as his colleague stole his ideas and passed them off as his own. His wife stopped speaking to him as she feared that his laryngitis might get worse. This lack of communication created chaos in their otherwise blissful married life. He demanded either a solution to set things in order or refund him money with a hefty compensation. Deepak was flabbergasted. He read out this message to his friends.

Harish added his input. He said, " Mr. Arvind Venugopal did not expect his wife to go for a job. He was shocked to know that she earned more than him. She has started neglecting her family for the sake of her career. She has stopped cooking and started ordering food online for the past one month. His parents and children had food poisoning. She didn't take it seriously. He threatened her with dire consequences if she didn't resign from her job. She refuses to give up. She has warned him not to suppress her freedom or else she would drag him to court. He wants his money back and asks us to close our website forever."

Govind shared his complaint, " Mr.Sumit Sinha has blamed me for his wife's untimely demise. She passed away last week due to a rare type of heart disease. She hid this fact from her family so that they should not worry about her. The doctors had advised her not to strain herself with too much of household chores. She asked for his help so that she could survive for some time. She slept due to the effects of heavy medication and not laziness. Her parents were taking care of her medical treatment. Sumit feels guilty for killing her. He had feigned illness to gain her sympathy. She had to do everything for her family. She did not object to taking up additional work. She remained silent about her illness till her last breath. Sumit admitted her to the hospital after she complained of breathlessness. She died after failing to respond to the treatment. He is completely devastated as he loved her sincerely. He has threatened to take legal action against me for misleading him." The four friends were in deep trouble. Ramesh went on to read his complaint, " Mr.Jaideep Sharma says he is ashamed to have acted upon my advice. He had misjudged his wife. He recently got promoted, and his wife got sacked. He had framed her for swindling office money. The director dismissed her immediately. He was gloating over the success of his plan. He thought of lashing out at her. He couldn't wait to see her crying. He finished his work and came out of his cabin. His friend Jagan congratulated him. He also told Jaideep that his wife had recommended his name for promotion. He felt as if someone had slapped him. He realized why his wife kept on criticizing him. She wanted to make sure that he did not get complacent. He had misunderstood her noble intention for haughtiness. He is paying for his hasty action. He wants me to bail him out of this situation. What should I tell him?"

They had run out of ideas. Deepak said, " My wife Nirmala is clever in handling this kind of situation. Let us seek her help." His friends agreed to accompany him.

Deepak's wife Nirmala welcomed them and offered them tea with snacks. Deepak told her everything about their debacle. He said, " We will refund the money of our clients. However, we want to help out these four guys who have suffered tremendously because of our reckless suggestion." Nirmala agreed to help them. She said, " You must fulfill my condition if you need my help. You will have to promise me that you are going to close down the website forever." They accepted her condition. She said, " Rekindling romance between the husband and wife is the only solution. Except for Sumit, ask the other fellows to go for a candlelight dinner with their wives. They should appreciate their spouses. They should give their wives some presents to express their love. They can take a brief vacation to spend their quality time with each other. They should have a heart to heart conversation with each other. Mr.Vishnuprasad should explain to her about the ill effects of nonstop chatting. It doesn't mean that she has to be silent throughout the day. Her speech should be controlled and concise. She has to be clear while conveying a message. I am sure she will respond positively. Mr. Arvind should appreciate his wife for taking up a career to support him financially. He should convince her to save her money while he would take care of the expenses. Alternatively, both of them can prepare a budget and contribute equally to meet their financial obligations. He should also offer to help her in the household chores. She would shoulder her responsibility.

Mr.Jaideep should apologize to his wife for having misunderstood her. He should shower his love and affection upon her. He should encourage her to pursue her passion. Their relationship would become stronger. Marriage is a sacred institution based on the foundation of love trust and understanding. Mr.Sumit's loss is irreparable. He needs someone to take care of his parents and the children. He can either opt for remarriage or hire domestic help. I will ask Jayanti Kaki to send Kokila as housemaid if required."

Deepak and his friends thanked her for her timely advice. They implemented her suggestions and forwarded the same to the concerned parties. Their efforts finally paid off. Vishnu Jaideep and Arvind revived their failing marriage. Their Wives reciprocated their love as their bonds grew stronger than ever. Sumit agreed to hire Kokila as his domestic help.

Deepak and his friends closed down their business. They resumed their job search again. This dreadful experience taught them to open their minds for a broader outlook. True love is more powerful than aggression or hatred.