Life, Lilies and Surf

Chapter 20

"Don't be ashamed of where you come from.  Don't fret for what is pas, nor be anxious about future;  wise men deal only with the present moment."

                                                                                               Chanakya Niti.

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

                                                                                               Confucius.

"Why should there be such turmoil and such strife,

To spin in length this feeble line of life ?"

                                                     Bacon,  Translation of Psalm XG

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave

When first we practise to deceive.

                                                       Scott,   Marmion,  vi, 17.

"Where shall the traitor rest,

He, the deceiver,

Who could win maiden's breast,

Ruin and leave her ?

                                                  Scott,   Marmion,   iii, st.II.     

The eventful day came when the hearing of the case was fixed.  The judge was a man in late fifties looking forward for his retirement.  Being a family affair, it  was not for all and sundry to go and crowd the court room.  Bhaskar had come ably escorted by his lawyer.  His lawyer was also a lady in her sixties.  She looked at Latha and Latha felt that she  seemed to be looking more like a mother-in-law of older times, ready to take to task her daughter-in-law.  Latha was also with her lawyer.  The case started as usual.  The judge asked each of the parties whether they were prepared fully to go ahead with the hearing.  Bhaskar had come dressed in full suit as if he were attending an official meeting or standing in his marriage reception.  The preliminaries of presenting the case was done by his lawyer.  As felt by Latha, his lawyer gave the arguments like a typical old fashioned mother-in-law, who was most distrustful and highly dissatisfied with the character and conduct of her poor daughter-in-law.  The whole picture presented by her of Latha  was one of disobedient, too liberal, arrogant and proud wife who had very little consideration for her husband.  There were sentences in her speech that could even be taken to imply shades of doubt  about her faithfulness as an undercurrent.  The incidents listed in the petition by Bhaskar, which were already one sided and baseless were made more lurid by the eloquence of his lawyer.  Mores things were also left unsaid but made to have a subterranean  mischievous inferences. 

Latha's lawyer while presenting her case totally dismissed all the accusations and conclusions as baseless, false and completely wrong.  She  pointed out that petty incidents in day to day married life even if true were made out as major unpardonable misconduct.   Being more practical and realistic, she could easily counter the arguments of Bhaskar's lawyer and conclude that the whole case was made out by the husband to get rid of his wife with the ulterior motive to escape his responsibilities as a husband and father.  She also tried to project the angle that one should not be carried away by the status of Bhaskar as a senior officer of a known service in government of India and conclude that he was a modern, loyal and considerate husband.   She also tried to give the angle that the incidents that were put across as true by his lawyer could easily be seen as emanating only from an archaic and male chauvinistic husband.  Without saying it in so many words, she made a pivotal point that Bhaskar was trying to walk away from Latha, who had served him well as a wife and got also a child through him, in order to start his life afresh.  

Cutting the long exchanges and speeches by both the lawyers, we can come to the essence of the matter.  The judge being an elderly man, possibly with grand children, asked Bhaskar pointedly why he wanted to break the marriage especially after getting a baby girl.  The judge was not very convinced about the few incidents that were used to conclude the prayer for separation and granting divorce.  He asked Bhaskar whether it was mere incompatibility as he could not find as judge any serious matter that could be ground for asking for divorce.  Bhaskar simply told the judge, "My Lord, I can no longer live with her.  I am fed up.   I want to quit and be a free man again."

This statement made the judge a bit angry and he looked at him and said, "But you have loved her, married her and got a girl baby.  She is also an officer like you and in fact a colleague in your service.  I am not able to appreciate your statements much less your demand.  Thing are never hundred per cent on same wave length between husband and wife in any marriage.  But people go on with married life as it is on the whole mutually enjoyable or at least convenient.  We have seen many cases that have come before us here.  In many a case after divorce, after few  years the couple regret their decision taken to part ways."

He also asked Latha as to how she felt about the whole thing.  He specifically asked her to openly tell what she really wanted to do.  Latha said in a subdued voice, "Sir, I have made it clear in my reply, ably presented  by my lawyer.  All the incidents mentioned are not fully true and they are petty and meaningless in the long journey of married life.  I have tried my best to be a faithful and loyal wife and loved him and done my duty to the best of my abilities  and working hard at same time in difficult charges in the office.  But he is bent on leaving me and feels that I and our child are burden for him.  You may kindly appreciate that in such a scenario of family  life, it will be great pain and hardship for me and my baby.  I have put up with it and I will continue to do so, if the family ties are in tact.  I will do it for my daughter.  But I don't think it is going to help.  My daughter will have a father who does not believe her mother and shows no affection to her as father. He is bent upon leaving us.  I therefore do not stand in his way.  This, I have mentioned in my reply.  I have no objection to Your Honour agreeing to his request for divorce however baseless and unjustified it may be.  I am very sorry to say these things, Sir, and please forgive me for being open and thank you for asking me to speak up."

There was silence in the court.  Both the lawyers remained silent waiting for the judge to respond.  The judge looked at Latha for full two minutes and then turned to Bhaskar to see his reaction.  But Bhaskar bent his head down and did not want to see the judge or Latha or the lawyers.  The judge then said, "In India marriages are considered sacred especially among Hindus and Christians and society also feels that marriages should last as durable relationships and every effort must be made to make them work, mainly for the welfare of the children.  It is an institution for mutual support of husband and wife by each other, that is more keenly felt as they grow older.  Many a case come to my court.  I am not in favour of granting divorce straight away on mere incompatibility paraded by the husband.  Though divorce is agreed to by the wife, who is in a responsible position in the society, I am not going to grant divorce.  There should be a two year period for patching up their differences and for restitution of conjugal rights.  During this period  both of you may make up your differences and seriously think of continuing as partners in life or shun each other completely, if it impossible to have truck with each other.  If after two years, if the position does not improve and your are of the same view  and the husband seeks divorce and the wife agrees to it, you can come back to the court for final judgement. Before I close the case now, I would advise Bhaskar to  earnestly  and seriously consider what I said."

End of Chapter 20.