'Developed feelings for Rekha but also loved Kajal': Gujarat man keeps up family tradition of marrying two women

SURAT: This family from Khanpur in Navsari district is uncommon. Here, married couples are not actually a couple but a trio, with three people in a relationship. Men of this family marry two women with all three living together. Meghraj Deshmukh (36) will be the third generation of the family to marry two women, in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. The wedding began on Saturday. As there are many families linked to the same clan, some 2,500 guests are expected. Meghraj's father, Ram, married Vanita and Chanda in his youth, while his grandfather, Naval, married Sukri and Kamu. "Marrying two women is the norm in our family. My father and I also married two women. We live happily in a joint family," Ram told TOI. Ram has five children, four from Vanita and one from Chanda. His children also live happily in a joint family, accepting all. In some families in the region, men live with two women. This is acceptable to all in the family and community. The women are also comfortable living together in a joint family. They live together without marriage until the man is well-settled.Meghraj has lived with Kajal for 16 years and Rekha for 13 years and will formally be married now. He has two children from Kajal, a daughter and a son, while he has one son from Rekha. He got engaged to Kajal according to his family's wish in an arranged relationship, while he developed a relationship with Rekha later. "I developed a friendship with Rekha, but I also loved Kajal. I made it clear to both of them, and they agreed to live like sisters," said Meghraj. Besides managing the home, Kajal and Rekha help Meghraj run his two cold-drink shops. On marrying after all these years, Meghraj said he was not financially independent earlier but gradually he got stable and decided to marry Kajal and Rekha. "We have been living happily since we met for the first time. Meghraj keeps all of us happy and comfortable," said Kajal. For Rekha, "Love for Meghraj is bigger than everything. Kajal and I live like sisters and help each other in everyday life."