India, March 8 -- There is a moment during our conversation when Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta pauses, smiles, and delivers a line that perfectly captures the paradox of women in leadership roles. "Har woman politician ki bhi ek wife honi chahiye. Every woman politician should get a wife jo uska dhyaan rakh sake, ghar ka, kids ka, relatives ka... Men only have to focus on their jobs; for all other 'home duties', they have a wife," she says, as we sit down for our Women's Day special. Much like writer Judy Brady's satirical essay, I Want a Wife, Gupta highlights the invisible labour expected of women even at the highest levels of leadership. "You could be a CEO, CM, running a country or the world, but they don't get to be just professionals. They remain caregivers, planners, and emotional anchors at home," says the 51-year-old. So, you still have to manage relatives and the home? "Yes. I am also just a woman. And I enjoy it, too," she says. "I have shared this incident earlier; on the day we were going for my oath-taking ceremony, my husband asked me, 'What do I wear, yeh toh batao.' Women have also internalised it," says Gupta, who has completed a year as Delhi's Chief Minister. Is it frustrating? "Not frustrating, like I said, a wife would be helpful (laughs). I feel women leaders have an inbuilt sensitivity and are empathetic. Our strength is unmatched. But I also work with the awareness that many other women leaders or potential ones will be judged by how I deliver. I want to do the best so people believe that women leaders are highly effective," she observes. Frustration does creep in, though. "Sometimes, people say such offensive things ki lagta hai akal thikane laga do, but then you remember the chair you occupy and the decorum of the office you hold. So, I practice an unearthly amount of patience." How does she manage the relentless pace of governing Delhi and the intense scrutiny that comes with it? "Yeh toh meri field hai, I chose this life. I have been doing this since my college days. It brings me immense joy and satisfaction to serve people. It is an honour to serve Delhi," says the two-time Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president (1996 and '97). She recalls, "Back then, my mother was worried ki shaadi kaun karega leader ladki se." So was it difficult? "Ours is an arranged marriage. A family with the Sangh (RSS) background was sought. I am lucky both families are very supportive. I've contested six elections after marriage," says one of the only two female CMs currently serving....