Re: do you confide in your MIL?
Girls back home do tend to confide in their MILs when the relationship is good. I know this because my sister (who is mA very smart) did that once, and later told me that she will never do so again.
Alhamdulillah, I have an amazing MIL- so much so that she tells my husband to do chores if I'm tired and totally takes my side even without me asking for it. But iA I will never confide in her esp. re: my spousal issues, and the reason being: it's almost unfair to ask her to step out of her motherly role and side with me. She may be able to do it once, twice or 5 times- but she will stop at some point and blame you. I would rather not get there.
I confide in mine but I'd never expect her to side with me.. I also don't think motherly duties should ever mean siding with your kids blindly.. If my husband went to my dad and he said I was in the wrong I'd be fine with that..
I wonder if it's a desi thing to always stick by your blood relatives no matter what.. I know white people also do but there was a thread here which always sticks in my mind.. It went something along the lines of 'would you keep quiet if your close relative murdered or did something very serious' and most people seemed to say they would because family came before everything.. I think the level of 'loyalty' or support expected tends to be much higher in our households..