Being a working mom in India is not just a role—it’s a daily Khatron Ke Khiladi episode with school chaos, office deadlines, and toddler tantrums.

It is signing diaries mid-Zoom calls, hunting lost socks like a human GPS, and debating whether your child’s math homework is tougher than your data. If you are juggling kids, emails, and unsolicited advice, congratulations, you have unlocked expert-level motherhood!

Mornings begin not with garam chai, but a blaring alarm, followed by your toddler treating you like a trampoline and a teenager protesting wake-ups. You’re in the kitchen making tiffin, dodging MIL’s (mother-in-law) tips on how her kids ate karela without complaints (suspicious, by the way), and convincing your toddler that lauki is a happy cucumber. Meanwhile, the husband is ‘helping’ by asking, “Aaj ka nashta kya hai?” You mentally add him to the list of people for whom you need patience.

Getting the kids ready is an Olympic sport — the toddler won’t wear pants, the teenager won’t talk, and the car won’t start (likely the culprit being the husband). Just as you leave, the ayah announces, “Madam, diaper khatam ho gaya!” You sigh, add it to your never-ending mental to-do list, and drive off. Suddenly your phone rings—it’s the school. Is my child sick? Had a fall? Punched a classmate? You pull over in a panic. “Hello, Ma’am, just reminding you about tomorrow’s parent-teacher meeting.” You exhale. False alarm. Your BP returns to normal.

At work, you switch from ‘maa’ to ‘boss lady’ mode—emails, meetings, deadlines. Mid-presentation, your phone buzzes: “Bachha khana nahi kha raha. Kya karu?” A high-risk bhindi crisis. You text quick instructions, nod at your boss, and hope no one notices your superpowers. Then, another buzz —“Miss you, maa”. Exhaustion fades.

THIS is why you do it all.

After a long day, you return to a toy tornado—shoes here, toys there, biscuit crumbs leading to a toddler, and a teenager glued to their phone.

Guilt creeps in. Did they eat? Are they happy? You overcompensate with food. The toddler wants yours, the teenager wants junk, and you just want warm food. Dinner is a circus—food flying, teenager sulking, husband scrolling through phone, and MIL reminiscing about sanskari kids. You collapse on the sofa, finally ready for that long-pending OTT series, when a tiny voice calls, “Mumma, goodnight hug!” Your heart melts. Life is a beautiful mess, and you wouldn’t trade it for anything.

To every Indian working mom... whether in a saree or pyjamas stained with baby food... flipping parathas to PPTs with ease... tackling deadlines and diaper disasters with equal swag... drafting an email with one hand and holding a sleepy child with another... we see you, we celebrate you, and we salute you.

Whether your child is an avocado connoisseur, or just surviving on ‘Happy Meals’, remember that your love is the key ingredient in their lives. May your chai always be garam, your patience endless, and your unfading laughter at the absurdity of all.

Happy Mother’s Day to the real-life superheroes in mismatched socks! Because perfection is overrated, but you? You’re legendary!

The author is the founder of Big Momma Productions.

This column first appeared in our May issue. Get your copy here.