In our subcontinent, several cultures exist together and they have been existing for ages. Many a practice and ritual has changed but some have not. Some rituals, interestingly, exist all over irrespective of the religions, castes and creeds. There are proverbs, idioms, maxims, metaphors and superstitions. The concept of zun-mureedi exists almost everywhere. Zun-mureed is actually what we call a henpecked husband in English. A zun-mureed, whenever he talks, repeatedly refers to the greatness of his wife, sometimes on account of love, but often out of fear. There are others, though, who regard mothers to be more important than their wives. You never see a rickshaw here having a slogan on the hind-side saying 'bivi ki dua, jannat ki hawaa. The slogan is always 'maan ki dua, jannat ki hawaa. -ZUNMUREED BRELVI, Okara, October 10.