Yes Dear

I am in the Scarborough Town Centre last night, looking for a new pair of shoes. As I wander into Walmart, I observe a Bengali couple. They looked to be in their late 30s, and have a daughter called Munmun. How do I know? Here:

Husband: I hate coming to this mall. It's always crowded.
Wife: Oh, Munmun's father! Look at this clock. It's what we need in our kitchen.
Husband: Isn't there a clock on the microwave? Why do you want another clock?
Wife: C'mon Munmun's father! Sometimes we need to tell the time quickly.
Husband: Don't we already have a clock in the next room? How many clocks do we need?
Wife: Oh don't be so cheap.
Husband: This is what is wrong with Bangladesh. People don't know how to budget.
[Wife mumbles under her breath. Husband shakes head.]
Husband: Well, I suppose we could get a clock for the kitchen.
Wife: Thank you Munmun's father.

I think it's a dying tradition amongst Bengali women now not to call husbands by their names. I never understood the reason for it though. Amongst all my older uncle and aunts, and even my parents, no woman would call her husband by his name. It was usually 'Father of [insert first born's name here]' and so on. Which leads to the interesting question as to what do you call when you are yet to have a kid.

I think when I am married I would want my wife to call me by my name. "♪Mezba♫". That sounds more sexy that "Ei!" which is what most Bengali wives call their husbands - and could be loosely translated to "Yo!".

I don't think I need to worry though, most of my cousins who are now married get called by name by their wives. Sometimes their wives even call them names. "Ei - tumi ekta gadha!"

Ofcourse nowadays we get the reverse culture of husbands not calling their wives by their names.
"Darling." "Shona". "Baaaaby!"

Yes, nowadays men can do anything a woman can do.

Interestingly if you are man who wants to marry a strict Muslim wife because you are of the false assumption she will be more submissive - just make sure she doesn't know her Islam fully. Because - and ducking brickbats here - it is sunnah for the groom to wash the feet of his new wife.

Ok, that is also so not happening. I think I prefer our macho desi culture of "Yo!"

Tags: Desi