Together on the stage of life

Musician-singer, Anjan Ghosh and better half, Madhavi Bhumbare Ghosh, fitness coach, model and pageant winner, on the joys of walking the path less taken, self-employment and parenting a teenager

Madhavi Bhumbare Ghosh Queen of The Globe
International 2018

If ever there was a song that defines this college couples’ relationship, it would be the iconic Bollywood number Pehla Nasha. While the lilting tune and sweet lyrics are dedicated to the joys of first love there’s a particularly wicked reason why Anjan remembers it. “She was trying out for a college music fest, and this was the song she chose to sing. Turns out she wasn’t a good singer at all,” he chortles with the unbridled glee that two decades of husbandhood brings while Madhavi laughs sportingly.

That apart, he was clearly mesmerised by the lovely young junior he had met in the parking lot. The friendship went ahead, and despite her lack of singing skills, the graceful and talented Madhavi had lots going for her: her passion for dance and fitness, dedication to excellence not to mention her caring ways. The conversation flowed easily and seamlessly. “We are both extroverts, social and enjoy partying. At the same time, we are very family-oriented and love spending quality time together,” she says. The equation went from strength to strength and the duo began to spend more time together inside and outside the college. So, when he popped the question after graduating from Pune’s Ness Wadia College, she was happy to say yes.

"At the end of the day, a partnership is all about standing up for and standing by each other. I would like to add here that if you expect your wife to work, you must be prepared to extend a helping hand"

-Anjan Ghosh

The building blocks of a marriage

From the outset, both Anjan and Madhavi believed in following their individual interests. As the saying goes, if you pursue what you love, you won’t have to work a single day in your life. So, even as Anjan pursued his singing with gusto, Madhavi worked as a fitness professional in different organisations, including as Head Operations at G Cube Fitness Club. In 2018, she won the Queen of The Globe International competition organised by International Tourism as well as Diva Mrs India Body Beautiful. She now doubles up as a fitness coach apart from being an entrepreneur in charge of their enterprise Sahyadri Jal and Porsche mineral water.

Life is hectic and happy, given their diverse time schedules and a growing son, Aniruddha.(now 17). Despite the stresses of keeping it all together, it helps very much that Anjan is handson around the house. “I think with times, gender roles need to become fluid and flexible. Let's be realistic. Just as it always helps to have a double income for a better standard of life, so to do things at home smoothly when everyone pitches in around the house, be it for cooking or assorted chores,” expresses Anjan.

That said, he is effusive in attributing the competent handling of the family’s finances to the practical and meticulous Madhavi. “She takes care of everything so beautifully, be it the needs of our son or supporting me in all endeavours, great or small,” he says. “At the end of the day, a partnership is all about standing up for and standing by each other,” he says. “I would like to add here that if you expect your wife to work, you must be prepared to extend a helping hand,” he says.

Given that they have been married for so long, what according to them are the pillars of a marriage? “Support, communication, trust and companionship,” says Anjan. While Madhavi would root for mutual respect, care and close attention to each other’s needs. Above all, both attribute the steadfastness of their relationship to the foundation of a long-standing friendship. “When you are friends, everything else flows from that,” they say

Like every couple, this one has their fights too, but many years of togetherness and maturity have brought down both the duration and intensity of the quarrels. “Whenever things get heated up, I choose to leave the scene of conflict and go out for a quiet stroll,” smiles Anjan. “Thus, when we actually sit down to talk, the conversation is more reasonable and fruitful. You are likely to come up with better solutions when both partners are calm. No good ever comes from two angry people attempting to talk at each other, instead of to each other.”

Looking forward to a future with positivity and joy:
Madhavi and Anjan

Spending meaningful time together

Quality time for the travel happy family consists of vacations to Goa and Bangkok, trips to the mall and the movies. “We are great ones for celebrating birthdays together-be it mine, Anjan’s, Aniruddha’s or even the grandparents. Family is everything when it comes to the nitty-gritty,” says Madhavi. “Going out of the way to make that one particular day special for your loved one is great fun. It makes for some fabulous memories.”

Besides this, the three are a tight little unit, checking out different places and newer experiences together. “Aniruddha is almost an adult. So, in a controlled, age-specific way, we let him have his say,” says the fond mother.

Fitness enthusiasts both, believe the family that exercises together, prospers in every way. “It is a wonderful way to spend meaningful time together and ensure you are investing in the future in a truly long-lasting way,” he says. “We are living in particularly stressful times and a hugely polluted atmosphere. So, a specific hour earmarked to fitness is very important.”

Bringing up (a not so little) baby

Aniruddha is now a strapping 17, appearing for his 12th standard exam. While Madhavi is firm about his schedule and academics, both believe in relaxed and communicative parenting.

“He is the centre of our world, and we hope to support him in all his dreams,” smiles Madhavi. “The important thing is to let him take his decisions and follow his own heart-just as we have,” she rounds off.