A light-hearted joke about a plausible third marriage landed a Kanpur man in trouble after his second wife took a strong offence and got enraged, triggering a domestic dispute that eventually reached the local police station. The man had jokingly told a friend of his first wife, in front of his second wife, that he would marry her next.What began as casual banter soon turned into a heated exchange between the husband, his two wives and the friend, forcing the police to step in and mediate the matter.The incident took place near the Mandhana police outpost in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur, around Karwa Chauth on October 29.
The man, who works for a private company, has been married twice.His first marriage took place several years ago, but the couple could not have children. Following medical consultations that reportedly revealed certain health issues with his first wife, the couple, with the consent of both families, decided that he would marry again.The arrangement appeared to have worked out peacefully, particularly after his second wife gave birth to a daughter.
The family was reportedly leading a settled life until a friend of the first wife arrived from Gorakhpur four days before the incident.The unmarried woman, who shares a close bond with the first wife, had been visiting their home for a long time and addressed the husband as 'Jija' (brother-in-law).The two would occasionally exchange light-hearted jokes and engage in playful banters.However, one such remark took an unexpected turn. Two days before Karwa Chauth, the husband jokingly told the woman, "Your friend helped arrange my second marriage, but now I feel like marrying you as my third wife".The comment was made in the presence of his second wife, who reportedly became suspicious that her husband might actually be in an affair with her and considering another marriage.She objected strongly, and a verbal spat soon broke out at home.
The husband and his first wife tried to convince her that the remark was nothing more than a joke and that there was no question of a third marriage. However, their explanations failed to settle her concerns.As tensions continued to rise, the dispute eventually reached the Mandhana police outpost on Wednesday night.The officer in charge, Jai Narayan Singh, called all four individuals involved and heard their respective versions of the incident.During the discussion, the husband denied having any relationship with his first wife's friend.Explaining his position to the police, he said, "Sir, I have no affair with this woman; she is a friend of my first wife and has been visiting our home for a long time.
She was simply staying over, and I made a joke—which my second wife took seriously”.The first wife also supported her husband's explanation, pointing out that even his second marriage had taken place with her consent and that he had no intention of marrying again.The friend, too, denied any romantic involvement with the man and said she would return to Gorakhpur.After nearly two hours of discussions and mediation, Singh managed to resolve the misunderstanding.The second wife was reassured, and all four returned home after the matter was settled. The friend subsequently left for Gorakhpur.Interestingly, the incident did not affect the Karwa Chauth observance on October 29, as both wives reportedly kept the traditional fast and prayed for their husband's long life.- Ends