THE RELUCTANT FIGHTER

With Arvind Kejriwal behind bars, a confident and combative Sunita Kejriwal is dramatically stepping up her public presence

- SONI MISHRA

In 2015, after the Aam Aadmi Party registered a stunning victory in the assembly polls in Delhi, its office at Patel Nagar erupted in celebration. Arvind Kejriwal, party chief and the hero of the moment, appeared on a makeshift stage in front of the office to loud cheers from supporters. As Kejriwal took the mic, the first thing he did was pull his wife Sunita Kejriwal close, put his arms around her shoulders, and introduce her on live TV.

"This is my wife," Kejriwal said. "She would never come to the front. She was always afraid that the government would act against her. Today, I told her: 'There is no reason to be afraid. Nobody will take action against you."

Sunita, then an Indian Revenue Service officer, looked embarrassed and uncomfortable. She folded her hands and smiled as her husband thanked her for being his support system. He said he would not have been able to achieve anything without her.

Earlier that day, Kejriwal's first tweet as the poll results poured in was to thank Sunita. "Thank you Sunita for always being there," he wrote.

The two had met at the civil service academy in Mussoorie in 1993. Kejriwal had one fine day knocked on her door and simply asked her if she would marry him. She said yes, and they got married in November 1994.