Sandhya Naik has a strange problem. Her marriage, arranged by her parents, was to a man, 10 years older than herself. Although she is very happy in her marriage, the only problem, she says, is when her husband calls her mummy.

"She freaks out when he calls her mummy. Since he is much older to me, the age difference between my mother and my husband is quite less. She tells him not to call her mummy, but he is adamant because he belongs to the old school and wants to maintain a good relationship with her," she says.

It is quite a hilarious situation at home, and Sandhya's family gets a good laugh whenever she and her husband come to visit.

"Moreover, my sister, who is just a year older than I am, is extremely embarrassed, because even though he is nine years older than her, through relationship she is older than him. So whenever they meet, he always reaches for her feet. What results is always a squeal of embarrassment because she is quite modern and does not expect this kind of behaviour," she laughs.

She tried to talk him out of doing it, but being so conservative and traditional, he just does not want to "move away from his roots."

Also Read: Assert Yourself with Ma-in-Law

Expectations Factor

Suprava Dey, homemaker, is a mother-in-law-to-be, at least, eventually. "My husband and I dated before we got married, and even though I did not know his mother at all, I still started calling her mummy just after I got married. It is not a matter of how you feel for your mother-in-law; it is a matter of tradition and respect. If respect means calling her mom, then you should call her mom," she says.

After all, what better way to feel close to your husband's mother than to call her "mother"?

So, does she expect her daughter-in-law to call her mummy?

"Of course," she says, "No matter how the world changes or the generation becomes modern, traditions are always the same, and traditions have to be followed. It is the essence of being Indian. So, that just means, she will call me auntie a day before marriage, and mom the next, that is how it is supposed to be."