A man shares his personal problem of being caught in the constant fights between his mother and his wife for the past nine years. When he tries to reason with his mother, she calls him a 'wife's slave,' and when he tries to reason with his wife, she calls him a 'mama's boy.' This ongoing conflict has caused him immense stress, affecting his career and even leading to suicidal thoughts. He explains that he is the sole earning member of the family, supporting his retired mother and his wife, who has no desire to work despite his efforts to find her a job. He asks Acharya Prashant to identify his fault or ignorance in this situation. Acharya Prashant begins by humorously noting his good fortune in not having a wife or mother-in-law, as he often hears such stories of domestic strife. He points out that the questioner mentioned three women in his life—his mother, wife, and sister—and only the sister, who is independent, does not cause him distress. He identifies the root of the problem in the traditional family structure, which he calls a 'manufacturing defect.' This system is inherently patriarchal, where only one or two members are empowered as earners, while the rest are dependent. This dependency is the source of conflict. The speaker explains that the fight between the mother and wife is fundamentally an economic and power struggle. He refers to a popular song lyric, "Don't call him son, mother-in-law, now your son is mine," to illustrate how both women are competing for control over the man, who is the sole financial resource. Since both women are powerless and dependent, they vie for dominance over the man to secure their position. The speaker criticizes the culture that keeps women uneducated and dependent, which inevitably leads to such conflicts. He also highlights the hypocrisy of men who prefer dependent wives but then complain about the resulting problems. Acharya Prashant asserts that the traditional family system is inherently flawed, leading to conflict and misery. He explains that a peaceful and happy family is almost impossible within this structure because it is based on dependence, not freedom. The problem is not with the individuals but with the system itself, which is definitionally flawed. The conflict is a symptom of a deeper malaise rooted in the economic and power imbalances within the family. He states that the entire culture is based on the idea that a 'girl should not get out of hand,' which means keeping her dependent and controlled. As a solution, Acharya Prashant advises empowering the women in the family by giving them something meaningful to do, something that provides more interest than fighting. He suggests that the man should encourage his wife to become financially independent, even if it requires setting an ultimatum. A healthy relationship, he concludes, can only exist between two free and independent individuals. He also points to the broader societal issue of declining female labor participation in India, which is a symptom of this deep-rooted cultural problem. The fault lies in participating in a system that is designed for conflict by keeping women dependent.