Archana acknowledged the timeline, adding, “I know, I met you a year after that.” Despite a seven-year age gap, the couple went on to secretly get married. At the time, Archana was already an established face in the industry, while Parmeet was still struggling to find his footing.

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Parmeet’s business went bankrupt

Parmeet also recalled his business that vanished overnight and Archana provided succour during different times. “I had started an export garment business, and I got a few good orders from Europe. I had set up the factory in Bangalore, and it was all going well, but suddenly all the orders got cancelled. All big brands suffered, and it all came crashing down for me. I remember calling you from an STD booth, and I was crying. My entire business was finished, and I asked you, ‘Mai kya karu (What should I do)?’ You just said, ‘Come back. ‘You gave me the support that not a lot of people would have done,” he said, thanking his wife.

Reflecting on that phase, Archana said, “In my head, I never thought, ‘He doesn’t earn.’ I always believed, ‘I am earning, what’s the difference?’ I have lived like a guy. I have rebelled against every form of patriarchy.” Parmeet responded with gratitude, saying, “That’s your greatness. You married me when I was a true struggler.”

Archana started resenting Parmeet not earning

However, Archana admitted that being the sole breadwinner in the early years sometimes led to friction — especially when Parmeet was too generous with spending her money. “I had to pay the bills, and he would always demand to go to expensive restaurants. I would think, he should be the provider.” While he hadn’t acknowledged it back then, Parmeet confessed now, “Because I didn’t come from a rich background, I had a hunger for good things — I wanted a better life.”

This led to Parmeet opening up about his difficult childhood.

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Parmeet didn’t have a single toy as a child

Archana, getting emotional, said, “Every time you tell me this story, I tear up. You’ve told me you never had a toy growing up.”

Sharing his reality, Parmeet recalled, “This was my life. We always struggled financially. My father married off my sister after taking loans. He took loans to buy a house and a vehicle. I never had pocket money. I studied in a rich school where kids from wealthy families would buy soft drinks and frankies every day. I barely had money — once in a while I could manage a vada pav.”

He added, “My father was a simple man. He wasn’t money-minded about investments. I think my hunger to build a better life came from this. Unless you are broken, you won’t become something in life. I strongly believe that.”

Archana, on the other hand, came from a financially comfortable background — but carried her own emotional struggles. Recalling her early days, she shared, “I came here when I was broken. I was just 19 and had gone through a very bad breakup. It felt like everything was over. Somewhere I felt I had disappointed my parents. There was a lot of patriarchy where I came from, so I had this drive to become as good as a son — as good as my father, who was such a big achiever. I wanted to prove myself to my parents. I toughened up.”

Parmeet Sethi and Archana Puran Singh eventually tied the knot in 1992.