Are you the kind of man who breaks stereotypes?

The Stay-at- Home Dad DAD in the MOMs' Group—Chetan Bhaga
"I make smoothies or arrange tea for my wife when she comes back from work"

Author Chetan Bhagat is no stranger to brickbats (perhaps more) and bouquets(probably less). But whether you love or hate his books, the guy makes the cut for shattering stereotypes with aplomb.
He's super comfortable playing the stay-at-home dad while his banker wife works full time. "I guess that's because I don't define myself or my manliness by being out of the house. It helps that I can work on my writing from home, but I am a person who is not easily affected by societal norms and opinions. I go by what I feel is right. It is totallyokay for the traditional roles to be reversed, in an age where almost any job can be done by a man or a woman," says Chetan, with his signature candour. Make note: Here is a man whose books are snatched up by millions and even reproduced as box-office hits. He enjoys all the aspects of being a celebrity: signing autographs, selfies with fans, the limelight (sans the paparazzi)...
How involved is running the home? "As we have two small kids, I do have to manage our house help, plus the numerous people who attend to various house-related problems," he tells us. "I consider myself lucky to be able to do that. I am one of the few men in my batch, who has watched his kids grow up. It is great to be around more than other dads. It is one of life's biggest luxuries".
So what's the biggest mould that Chetan has broken? "That a settled, middle-class boy cannot try something different and do well at it. I quit my job at an international bank at the peak of my career to write books. It all kind of worked out, which is something that doesn't happen everyday," he signs off.

Not Afraid To Cry– Parikshat Wadhwani
"I can sew, fabric paint and crochet fabulously. The latter, I owe to my nani. I love cooking too"

Brand consultant Parikshat Wadhwani has no trouble tuning into his softer side. "I love watching movies, especially Bollywood flicks. My favourites include Devdas and Chandni," he states honestly. "Why should I feel embarrassed about my choice? Even men have emotions. I watch rom-coms and sci-fi too, but tend to get more emotionally involved in what unspools on the silver screen. Yes, there are times when I cry. I don't think there is anything awkward about that."
This metrosexual male loves macaroons and bright-pink shirts. "I think I look fantastic in pink shirts. Not everyone can carry off this colour," he says with a smile. And what about his immaculatelyarranged locks? "Takes all of five minutes to get them in place," Prod him further and he reveals the secret, "using a special wax. Again, pink in colour!" he laughs.
Parikshat is adept at using the old nonmotorised sewing machines and even at wielding the crochet hook. "I used to observe my nani doing crochet as a kid and picked up the art. Wait, it gets better. The man can also rustle up a special meal for his date.

DAD in the MOMs' Group– Nipun Malhotra
"I have made sandwiches for the kids' tiffin; I am also in various WhatsApp loops with mothers for basketball classes and school-bus updates"

Nipun Malhotra is a soft-spoken entrepreneur, who often thunders around on his Harley. The trained scuba diver, is now busy working on radio frequency identification(RFID) projects at his own office. But, more importantly, he has zero qualms about playing the hands-on dad, even the full-time dad, when his entrepreneur wife is not around.
So would he quit work if his better-half was earning more than him? "If my wife mwere earning more than me, I would gladly retire," he laughs. He is no stranger to chipping in at home, shepherding his two boysfrom the pool to the bath, racing to the school bus pick-up destinations, attending PTMs and keeping track of multiple drops and pick-ups at birthday parties galore.
"Things do get a bit hectic when Urvashi isn't around, but I take on everything pretty well. My father was in the defence services when we were growing up and I studied at a boarding school during my formative years. These two aspects have made me quite independent in every respect and I am clued in to what my kids want. In any case, Tanay and Ruhaan are our kids, so between the two of us we have to bring them up. It would be selfish of me to think otherwise and heap everything on my partner."
Nipun is very supportive when his spouse's work takes her out of town or when she goes on an annual holiday with her own bunch of girlfriends. "I feel both of us work equally hard. We're equal partners in raising our family and deserve our individual breaks too," says Nipun. "There is nothing wrong with that". Take a bow, Mr Malhotra, you're just the sort of man our world needs.