BEING A GOOD WIFE AND MOTHER

Hers was hailed as Mumbai’s first open transgender marriage, completed with all the rituals, in a temple. On December 28, Madhuri Sarode tied the knot with Jay Kumar Sharma, the man she’d been dating for five years, before a gathering of close friends and relatives.

“It has been more than a dream come true,” she says, grinning. “I love wearing sindoor and the mangalsutra. Jay loves it when I wear a sari.” “I love her in anything she wears,” he interrupts, “she’s my Madhuri Dixit.”

Sarode and Jay met on Facebook. “I was suspicious at first,” she confesses. “I kept asking if he knew about my past and he kept repeating that he didn’t care much about it. Eventually I fell for him and his charming ways.”

When they decided to get married, Jay arrived at her house with two of his sisters to ask for her hand. From picking out invitation cards to hiring wedding photographers, the couple went the whole hog.

His mother, who lives in a village in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, was initially afraid of a backlash from the community, but when they sent her pictures of the wed- ding, she replied saying she was thrilled to have a daughter-in-law. She will be visiting the couple next month.

“I call her every day and she gives me tips on how to run a household,” says Sarode, 35, laughing. “One of the most important things marriage has taught me is multitasking. I love mundane domestic chores, like pottering around the kitchen. I love juggling my schedule to make sure I’m home from my dance classes when Jay gets back from work. Life feels complete.”

Up next: Motherhood. The couple plans to adopt soon.