The Perfect Wife

“Are you full-on enjoying life, Lanki?” Thenu asked as he backed the car out of the gate.

“What? That’s ridiculous. Did you not see the pile of dishes in the sink after your party?” Lanki replied with disdain.

Thenu sighed and sped through the green paths, making their way quickly to Battaramulla as it was a quiet night. On the way, they discussed what to bring home tomorrow and what to take to Thenu’s mother’s house next week.

Lanki and Thenu had gotten married after being friends. Thenu, who had a well-paying job, received a fully furnished new house in Battaramulla as a wedding gift from Lanki’s parents. Lanki was a beautiful young woman. Thenu’s expectations were also to have a comfortable life with his wife staying at home. This was not only an understanding between them since their friendship days, but Lanki too had dreamed since childhood of becoming a perfect homemaker. With two children, they lived happily, and Lanki took great pride in her role as a housewife.

She never hired anyone for housework because her dream was to be the perfect wife and mother. She managed the household impeccably and Thenu often felt proud of her cooking. Their friends even joked that you could eat off their floor, it was so clean. Lanki was also very stylish.

That day, after putting the kids to sleep and leaving them with Lanki’s mother, they went to visit Thenu’s sister’s house unannounced. It was a Friday evening. By that time, Lanki had already planned the weekend, ensuring the house was spotless. Thenu’s sister, Saro, was an executive officer by profession. The house was usually kept clean thanks to a maid.

When they arrived around 9 PM, Thenu’s sister’s daughter was already asleep. Saro and her husband were sitting on garden chairs in the front yard, sipping wine and chatting. The table had a variety of delicious takeout food.

“Ah, my little sister is here... Sarath, bring two more glasses and some wine!” Saro’s husband shouted from afar. Having Thenu and his wife over on a Friday night brought him immense joy.

Sarath poured fresh wine into the new glasses. They laughed and enjoyed the takeout food. However, Lanki remained sullen the entire time, holding her wine glass but not drinking. Despite making polite conversation, Lanki could never tolerate Saro’s character.

It wasn’t because Saro had ever wronged Lanki. Lanki simply believed that Saro was neither a good wife nor a good mother.

“How can a woman like that be happy... she doesn’t know how to do any housework. Her husband must be fed up,” Lanki had once told Thenu early in their marriage.

“My sister lives the way my brother-in-law likes. Why do you care?” Thenu had snapped back.

“That liking won’t last long. That family won’t stay together for long. I’m telling you. A man wants a woman as his wife, not another baby to look after,” Lanki had retorted angrily.

Back home, Thenu took a shower and went to bed. According to her plan, Lanki went to the kitchen to soak chickpeas. She cleaned the greens for the porridge she would make in the morning.

“It’s late, Lanki. Let’s do it tomorrow; it’s Saturday after all,” Thenu yelled a couple of times, but Lanki quickly finished her work. After all, a perfect wife and mother must be impeccable. Lanki received everyone’s praise for her dedication. She bathed, put on her prettiest floral nightgown, and came to bed holding her tablet while Thenu was already asleep, snoring softly. She tidied up, put the tablet aside, and lay down next to him.

Early the next morning, she woke up at 5 AM to the alarm. She prepared a complete breakfast alone. By the time Thenu and the kids came down, the table was filled with food she had made. It took half an hour to finish eating. As their little daughter was still young, she spilled some curry on the tablecloth while they ate.

“Shani... get up. What is this mess you’ve made?” Lanki yelled, spanking Shani swiftly. Thenu, who was eating quietly, knew this was a common scene due to the strict discipline Lanki maintained in the house. Shani cried and went to the living room. Their younger son followed, thinking he could play with her. Thenu continued to eat in silence. After finishing, Lanki went to the kitchen to tidy up for lunch preparations. She washed the dishes and cleaned the tablecloth by hand, afraid the stains wouldn’t come out well in the washing machine.

At that moment, Thenu entered the kitchen and suggested, “Let’s all go out to eat today. You’ve worked so hard.”

“Are you crazy, Thenu? We need to fertilize the orchids today. And eating out is unhealthy. Only those fake, pretentious women who can’t cook eat out,” she said, hinting at his sister.

The weekend passed with them fertilizing the plants, weeding the garden, and changing the curtains.

“Oh my God, I felt like staying at the office these past two days would have been better,” Thenu joked.

“Yes, then I would have done all this alone. Now you see why I am busy all day?” Lanki said proudly. She believed being a good mother and wife meant cooking the best meals, planting flowers and vegetables, and keeping the house spotless. She received much praise for her efforts.

Years later, Lanki learned of Thenu’s extramarital affair. She told everyone, including his family and friends. They scolded Thenu. Eventually, they went to a counselor. During the discussion, Thenu admitted to the affair and Lanki asked him only one question:

“Even though I was such a good wife and mother, what was I lacking?”

“Lacking... lacking... I wanted to be in love with you. To talk to you... You did everything, but none of it was what I wanted. We wouldn’t die if the house wasn’t perfectly clean for one day. You worked for hours cooking, but we always ate quietly because there was always a fight or you scolding someone. Is life all about cooking, cleaning, and gardening, Lanki? If we hired a maid, she would do all that. Your perfect wife image is what drove us apart.”

“You always criticize my sister. But despite not keeping the house like a crystal palace or eating out sometimes, they spent time together. They didn’t just obsess over chores like crazy. That’s why they were happy. If there’s no joy in the house, all the cleanliness and delicious food don’t matter, do they?”

“I’m a good mother, and I’m the best wife. You betrayed me. Now you’re just making excuses,” Lanki yelled at him.

As they continued counseling, the counselor recommended seeing a psychologist. Isn’t it better to address issues and move forward together rather than letting a family with children fall apart? We need to be humble enough to understand our misunderstandings.