Zeenat Aman reflected on a transformative phase of life (Source: Express archive photo)Ideas about marriage and family life often begin with hope, expectations, and a vision of stability. Veteran actor Zeenat Aman recently revisited a personal phase of her life and reflected on a time when her ideas about domestic happiness were beginning to shift.Sharing a behind-the-scenes video from the sets of Gawaahi, Zeenat looked back at the period when she was balancing motherhood, marriage, and a return to work. She wrote, “How many comebacks can a gal have? When it comes to me, apparently, the answer is unlimited!” She added, “Gawaahi was shot in 1988, two years after the birth of my first son Azaan and just before the conception of my second born Zahaan.”The actor also opened up about how her personal life was changing at the time. “At this point in my life, the rosy picture of domestic bliss that I had conjured up while at the peak of my career was beginning to fade. Marriage and motherhood had both arrived, but the former was starting to show cracks.” She further revealed that she had moved back with her mother, writing, “I was back living with my own mother (with little Azaan in tow) in her flat in south Bombay when an unexpected script arrived at my doorstep. It was a low-budget courtroom drama based on Ayn Rand’s play The Night of January 16th, and it was terrifically pitched to me by producer Vivek Vaswani and debut director Anant Balani.”What stands out in her reflection is not just the mention of marital strain, but also how work sometimes becomes intertwined with identity and emotional coping. Looking back at the film, she called herself a “comeback queen” and wrote, “This interview clip is from the film set of Gawaahi, and for me personally it is madly nostalgia-provoking. The role marked my return to films after giving birth, and so of course it was also hailed as a comeback. One of many I’ve apparently had since! I guess you can call me a comeback queen.”When the dream of domestic bliss meets realitySonal Khangarot, licensed rehabilitation counsellor and psychotherapist, The Answer Room, tells indianexpress.com, “Many people step into marriage carrying an emotional blueprint shaped by movies, social media, childhood experiences, and cultural conditioning. The idea of ‘domestic bliss’ often focuses on love, companionship, and stability, but real relationships also involve emotional labour, financial stress, differing habits, unresolved family dynamics, and everyday responsibilities. When reality does not match the fantasy, couples may feel disappointed, misunderstood, or emotionally disconnected.”Healthy adaptation begins when couples shift from idealised expectations to a realistic partnership. Instead of chasing perfection, they need to build emotional flexibility, open communication, and mutual empathy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zeenat Aman (@thezeenataman)Beyond parenting roles: Holding on to your identity without guiltParenthood naturally reshapes identity because so much emotional, physical, and mental energy begins revolving around caregiving. Khangarot stresses, “Maintaining an identity beyond family roles is not selfish — it is psychologically healthy. People need spaces where they can still feel like themselves, whether through friendships, hobbies, work, creativity, fitness, or simply spending time alone. Guilt usually arises from the belief that good parents or partners must constantly sacrifice themselves, but children also benefit from seeing emotionally fulfilled adults with balanced lives.”The goal is not to choose between family and individuality, but to integrate both. “When individuals nurture their own emotional needs alongside caregiving responsibilities, they often show up as calmer, more emotionally present, and healthier partners and parents,” shares the expert.