- 24 -
Sunday being a holiday, Ramesh’s driver had not come. Due to the dusty winds and thunderstorm at night, it was necessary to clean the car. Ramesh had to do the same himself. On Sundays, it was their routine not to have breakfast and lunch separately, so today too, Rani prepared brunch and placed it on the dining table. Ramesh got ready, had his meal and looked at time. It was ten minutes to eleven. For the past few days, Ramesh and Rani had almost stopped talking. They spoke only when it was necessary. Ramesh did not ask whether she had eaten or not. While going out, he just said, “Let’s go.”
Rani locked the house and got into the car. Before starting the car, Ramesh called Khanna to inform that they would reach in about ten minutes.
Since Ramesh had already told him everything, so, Khanna asked Rani to come into another cabin and started asking in this way -
“What’s the name of your friend?”
“Sir, Alok.”
“When did you become friends in childhood, how old were you then?”
“I was in the sixth class and Alok in seventh.”
“Did you study in the same school?”
“No.”
“How long did this friendship last?”
“What do you mean ...?”
“I mean, for how many years you were together in childhood?”
“For about two years. Then on Papa's transfer, we went to Jalandhar.”
“In those two years, you were advancing from childhood to adolescence; did you ever feel that there was something more than mere friendship between the two of you?”
Khanna’s question put Rani in a dilemma. She was not sure what to say and what to skip. Then, controlling her feelings, she answered ‘no’.
“When did you meet him again?”
Skipping the mention of the casual meeting at Alok’s house after coming back to Bathinda, Rani said, “Last November at a wedding.”
“How many times have you met since then?”
“Four-five times.”
“Did you ever stay together at night?”
“Yes, once.”
“When and where?”
“When Alok came to our residence for the first time, he stayed overnight.”
“Was Ramesh Ji at home then?”
“No, he had gone to Mumbai.”
“Was Alok’s visit to your house planned after Ramesh Ji left for Mumbai or it was already planned?”
“It was tentatively fixed beforehand.”
“Did Ramesh Ji know about it?”
“No. As I said, Alok was likely to come but it was not confirmed, so, I didn’t tell about it to Ramesh Ji beforehand. But when he returned from Mumbai, I told him about Alok’s visit.”
Khanna wanted to ask the next question, 'Did you sleep in the same bedroom or separately?’ but he avoided this question and instead asked, “Are you happy with your married life? I mean, how are relations between you guys?”
“If we leave aside the past few days and minor family differences, then our relations can be termed as normal. But I’ll definitely say that Ramesh Ji has hardly any free time to spend with me. Till the marriages of our daughters, I used to spend my time working for and with them. But after their marriages, I try to overcome my loneliness mostly by spending time with my female friends or sitting at home reading books and magazines. Despite having been ignored so much, I’ve never neglected my family duties.”
“Can you forego this friendship to save your marriage?”
“Sir, I beg your pardon for being blunt. You think like a man and not as a human being. Today the world has advanced so much that women are competing with men in every field of life. From our scriptures to our Constitution, women have been given status equal to men and are even worshipped as goddesses, but in real life, the attitude of men towards women has always been of narrow-mindedness, they’ve never been given equal rights. A woman bound in the bond of marriage, is considered the property of man. The society is accustomed to view the existence of women from the point of view of the times of Baba Adam (Outdated). Does a woman, after becoming a wife, lose her own identity? The drum of women’s freedom is beaten every day from every platform, but I don’t need to tell what the reality is, you know it very well.”
After saying all this, Rani felt that she had said too much, but in her heart of hearts, she was happy that she was able to express her feelings in the right words.
“Sorry ma’am, my question hurt your feelings. I’m really sorry. But in our profession, sometimes we’ve to ask some unpleasant questions also to understand the case properly. As for your views, logically it’s difficult to disagree with you. Please sit in the office and ask Ramesh Ji to come.”
……
Khanna told Ramesh whatever Rani had disclosed. Ramesh was happy that many things which she had hidden from him, she admitted before the lawyer. Then he consoled himself that she had answered whatever was asked of her. If she did not disclose something which he could not think of asking, where was her fault? Khanna is a professional and deals with such cases every day. He asked pointed questions and got everything out. Anyway, it is good. Now there is a solid basis for taking concrete action. He asked him, “Khanna Sahib, after whatever she has told you, do you think that still she might not have disclosed everything?”
“Ramesh Ji, why do you think that she might not have told everything?”
“Just like that…..”
“Ramesh Ji, I wanted to ask her a question that when Alok came to your house and stayed overnight, did they share the bed, but keeping in mind madam’s honour, I avoided such a blunt question.”
“Khanna Sahib, had you’ve asked this question, I wouldn’t have had to ask you anything further. Well, now I’ll try to get an answer to this question on my own. I don't know why, but my gut feeling is that the answer to the question would have been ‘yes’. Now that you’ve understood the whole case very well, please advise me, what should I do?”
“First of all, you tell me what do you want? Do you want your married life to continue as before?”
“After all the facts that Rani has narrated, do you think, our married life can continue as before? I don’t think, it can. Just tell me that on the basis of the facts that are before you, can I get a divorce?”
“Ramesh Ji, under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955, two principles have been formulated for divorce. One is to level allegation and seek divorce. Whosoever considers himself or herself aggrieved, can apply for divorce and if the allegation is proved, divorce is granted. The second option is divorce by mutual consent. You want to know which one to choose, right?”
“Yes, that’s what I want to know.”
“In view of the facts, you can apply for divorce under section 13 (A) (1).”
“What’s section 13 (A) (1)?”
“This applies to the first eventuality when either of the spouses voluntarily shares bed with a third person. Will you be able to prove this allegation?”
“Khanna Sahib, please explain the second principle also.”
“Under section 13 (B), divorce can be sought by mutual consent. It stipulates that divorce can be granted, if the husband and wife have been living separately for a year or more, or if they feel that it's not possible for them to live together and they mutually agree that their marital relationship should be dissolved.”
“Under the circumstances, which option, do you think, is better for me?”
“Ramesh Ji, I wish that preferably the situation of divorce doesn’t arise, but if there were no option left, then it would be better to separate by mutual consent instead of mudslinging leading to legal complications. Go home and think about the whole matter with a cool and calm mind, and if possible, take the help of a trustworthy friend or relative. Often when we feel that the things have gone over our head, after a little cooling period, a solution automatically emerges. I would once again advise you to let the situation cool down and then think again, and if, even then you feel that the situation is not improving, you may take whatever decision you like. I’m always there to help you. Best of luck.”
Ramesh and Rani came home. Ramesh dropped her and left for his card-party.
*****
