On the eve of Promise Day, Free Press spoke to some married couples, asking them about the promises they made to their spouses and whether they managed to keep them. The Day is celebrated on the fifth day of Valentine's Week, beginning from February 7.
Here is what they said:
Javed Khan, LIC Housing Finance
I have made two promises to Ishrat, my wife. One is to quit smoking and the other is to lose weight. I had grown so obese that I could not button up my shirt. She wanted me to become fitter. I am working on the latter promise and have lost almost 7 kg in two months. Now I weigh 80. I used to smoke almost 25 cigarettes a day. I have brought it down to five. I was an ardent fan of non-vegetarian dishes. I have switched to a pure vegetarian diet to control my weight. I am eating salads and green leafy vegetables. I also cycle for around one hour every evening after office hours.
Anu Bundela, businesswomen
Our marriage is 17 years old. My hubby, Avnish Singh Bundela, wanted me to learn driving. I promised him that I would. After he gifted me a car, I learned driving within 15 days. I had become rather overweight after the birth of our first child. I had promised to my hubby that I would get back to my original shape. I successfully did that. My husband is a diabetic and at my request, he has stopped eating sweets. He has also learned how to control his temper.
Nisha Thakur, homemaker
My hubby, Hans Raj Thakur made many promises to me. And he fulfilled most of them. What I remember, however, is that I fell for a gold mangalsutra which I saw at a jewellery shop. He promised that he would buy it for me. At that time, he did not have enough money. It took him two years to get that piece of jewellery. I finally got it in February this year. He had also promised to gift me a car, which he has done.
Utkarsh Tiwari, businessman
I used to chew tobacco. Sarika, my wife, did not like it. Last year, on the 18th anniversary of our marriage, I promised her that I would quit tobacco. I did it in one stroke. There were severe withdrawal symptoms, which I managed by exercising and keeping myself busy.
Megha Muramkar, homemaker
We got married in 2009. My husband, Manish used to be a chain smoker. It was a big problem for me, especially during my pregnancy. I used to feel very uncomfortable. On the Promise Day in 2010, he promised me that he would stop smoking. And he has fulfilled his promise. Now he doesn't touch cigarettes.
