Behind every successful man there is a woman. Behind Devendra Fadnavis, the chief minister of Maharashtra, there are three: his mother, his wife and daughter.
So, how does it feel being Mrs CM?
"I take each day as it comes. I will continue to do that," said Amruta, Fadnavis' 36-year-old wife. "I am grounded and I want to be like that. We both don't want our daughter to get influenced or affected by the power her father has achieved."
But life has taken a 360 degree turn, she admitted. The Fadnavis couple began their first day as Mr and Mrs CM without even meeting each other. They just exchanged a text message, greeting each other a good morning.
While Amruta is staying at Hotel Trident with her five-year-old daughter Divija and mother-in-law Sarita, Fadnavis is at the MLA hostel.
Amruta who is an associate vice-president with Axis Bank looked calm and composed about the fact that her husband would get increasingly busy and that she would have to compensate emotional vacuum for her daughter. "I can foresee that this is going to be a regular event. I completely understand the kind of responsibility he has taken up," she said. "Divija and I have been through a rigorous schedule for the past seven months."
As she spoke Divija kept playing and sipping some lime juice. "She gets cranky at times when he spends little time with her," Amruta added.
While speaking to dna, Amruta attended calls and obliged visitors while posing for photos and accepting their congratulatory messages. Also, she kept herself updated with information about Friday's function — people who could not make it to the overcrowded stadium.
"I learnt that about eight to 10 people couldn't get in because of the rush. I will personally call them or leave a recorded message of Devendraji. They (invitees) took time to attend the function but couldn't enter the stadium. It is my responsibility to reach out to them."
Fadnavis' mother Sarita was overwhelmed at the swearing-in. "We both had no words. We congratulated each other and hugged with tearful smile. She felt very proud of her son," Amruta said. "She has made immense contribution in shaping up Devendra's life. She is the biggest guiding force in his life."
Amruta also revealed a secret. "You know the saree I was wearing yesterday [Friday] at the function... she chose it for me. And I chose hers."
Has she decided where she will stay... Mumbai or Nagpur? "Everything depends on what Deven thinks. If he stays here and visits Nagpur sometimes, I will have to be here. It is very important that he stays in touch with the people of his constituency. They are very attached to him and Devendra meets them personally. If he decides to visit Nagpur once in a week or once in every 10 days, I will think of taking a transfer to Mumbai. Incidentally, he plans to set up an office in Nagpur."
The Fadnavis couple will complete nine years together this November. Theirs was an arranged marriage in 2005. She was a bit apprehensive when she heard that the prospective groom was a politician.
"I come from close-knit family of four members. My doctor parents were busy most of the time... my brother and I... we were in a world of our own. I enjoyed singing and lived like a free bird. Associating myself with a political family was unnerving in the beginning," she laughed.
"But he is different from others. When I first met him, my idea about a typical young politician changed. Deven is simple and down to earth. He is very understanding and he is a family man.
"He was fine with me working in the banking sector. I was a deputy manager then. The fact that he wants me to continue working even as Mrs CM explains that he respects my independence and ensures that I grow in what I do."
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