If you ask anyone who the most powerful person is on the planet, you are most likely to get only one answer, “It is Barack Obama, President of the United States of America.” Is the answer correct? No more. According to a recent disclosure, there is someone else more powerful than him. No, I am not kidding!
While chatting off-guard with a UN official recently, Barack Obama said that he hadn’t had a cigarette in probably six years. Then he explained the reason why he had given up smoking. He admitted with a smile, “That’s because I’m scared of my wife!”
Is Barack Obama the only man who is scared of his wife? What about President Bill Clinton? Hillary Clinton wrote in her memoir “Living History” that she wanted to wring Bill Clinton’s neck after he had admitted his affairs with a White House internee. Consequently, President Clinton had to sleep on the couch for at least two months! Buddy the dog was the only member of his family to give him company. Poor Bill Clinton!
Are there others like them? I knew a renowned civil servant who used to work every day at his office from morning till late at night. He had such a dominating personality that he always kept his sub-ordinates on their toes. It was later found out that his wife, who was more dominating than him, also kept him like that at home. So, in order to escape from the torture at home, he preferred to work at his office as long as he could.
There must be numerous similar stories. I recall to have read one by Syed Mujtaba Ali, one of the greatest satirist of Bengali literature. I may not remember the story word by word. It goes like this. One morning, the chief minister of an old Indian State was surprised to find the King in a very sad mood. He gathered enough courage to ask the King, “Why are you so sad today, Your Majesty?”
The King frankly replied, “I am scared of my wife.”
The chief minister said, “This is no reason to be sad, Your Majesty, as all husbands are like you.”
“Is this true?” The King asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty, it is true.” The chief minister confirmed.
“Can you prove it?” The King asked again.
“Yes, I can.” The chief minister replied.
The King promised to offer one thousand gold coins to the chief minister if he could prove it. The chief minister accepted the challenge and ordered all husbands of the state to gather in a large field on a certain day. Accordingly, all the husbands gathered at the venue on the scheduled day. At one point, the chief minister ordered, “Those of you who are scared of your wives should go to the north side of the field and those who are not should go to the opposite side.”
The King was pleasantly surprised to see that all the husbands had rushed to the north side of the field except a thin man who had been standing alone on the opposite side.
The King congratulated the chief minister and said, “You have won one thousand gold coins, Chief Minister, but I want to know why the lone man standing on the opposite side is not scared of his wife.”
Accordingly, the man was brought before the King and was asked to explain the reasons.
He replied, “Your Majesty, There is only one reason for me to go to the opposite side. While I was coming out of my home, my wife instructed me to avoid the crowd.”
So, don’t worry, Barack Obama, you are not alone!
