In the latest episode of 90 Day Engagement: Another WayRishi decides to show Jen a sense of traditional Indian household responsibility.
Or, as they say, “wife training.”
Jen seems shocked as she learns about the extreme gender roles and expectations that a traditional Indian household can have.
Of course, when he first learned about it. Now, on social media, Jen has her own thoughts to share. Maybe she and Rishi found a healthier balance?
Jen Boecher took to social media this week to make some candid comments about the latest episode.
She shared a glimpse of Rishi Singh stirring a big pot of mutton curry to her Instagram story on Wednesday, March 15.
“Rishi wears pants and an apron,” she quipped. “No complaints here.”
As we saw during the episode, after Jen caught Rishi in a series of partial truths (we are good), he took her to a friend’s house.
There, she will find the hope that will come from marrying Rishi and joining his household. Because it’s not just the two of them.
Seeta immediately tells the camera that she doesn’t think Jen will learn this easily. Jen is from America, she notes, where she has cultural expectations of gender equality. Here, they will experience something completely different.
Rishi refers to this as “the responsibility of learning in a joint family,” in contrast to what Jen calls it.
“Indian parents have a lot of expectations for their future son-in-law,” he told the camera.
“But an Indian girl already knows what her duties and responsibilities are.”
Meanwhile, Jen calls this “wife training.” And it’s easy to see why.
He learned about getting up before dawn to prepare tea and food.
And they know that the hope is to serve the people at home before they taste the food themselves.
Jen knew some of this before. But a lot of it was new to him.
“I know Rishi lives with his family and has an obligation to take care of the family in every way,” she told the camera.
“But I think this could be done from the family’s house or apartment,” Jen said. That looks natural; without him telling her, why would she think otherwise?
Jen also admitted that she was “a bit offended” because Rishi clearly felt he needed training “to learn to be a wife”.
Meanwhile, she felt “overwhelmed” when she learned that she would be expected to spend the entire day cleaning the house. Every day, every day.
And while this is news to him, clearly, Rishi is aware of all these expectations and more.
In fact, Rishi’s mother told the camera that she expects Rishi to enter an (arranged) marriage so that he has a son-in-law to manage the household.
(The usual reminder that we don’t know what Rishi’s family believes on camera; Rishi and the producers can tell any story, but what?)
Jen’s social media posts seem to indicate that she and Rishi have found a healthy work-life balance. But if that’s the case, how would his family feel?