|
|
Stories
Divorce
by
Vikram Karve
 The
phone rings at 9 o’clock in the morning in an apartment in Pune. The
husband picks up, pauses a moment as if hearing something, and says,
“Don’tworry, I’ll be there on time,” and replaces the phone.
He then shouts to his wife, who is in the kitchen : “ I’m going out
for some work. I’ll be back around one thirty or two for lunch.”
“Where are you going? You’ve taken leave today. Let’s go shopping;
and then for lunch and a movie.”
“Please. Not today. I’ve taken leave just for this important thing.”
“Important thing? Where are you going?” the wife persists.
The husband knows now that he has no choice but to tell her. He
knows his wife’s nature so well – she’s not going to rest till she
find out. She’ll nag him to death until he tells her.
“I’m going to the Family Court,” he says.
“Family Court? Why?”
“A divorce case.”
“Divorce? You’re trying to divorce me behind my back?”
“Please be quiet. It’s not us. Pooja has asked me to come for the
hearing.”
“Pooja?”
“You’ve met her. She’s my colleague at work.”
“Oh. That Pooja! I knew you always had a soft corner for her.”
“It’s her final divorce hearing today and she’s called me.”
“Divorce? Called you? How are you involved? I hope she divorces not
because of you? I knew you’d do something stupid. You are so
gullible you know – got trapped by her and now you are in trouble
being summoned by courts. Respectable persons never see the insides
of a court in their entire lives.”
“Please keep quiet! You just go on and on! Pooja’s called me just to
give her emotional support.”
“Emotionalsupport! I’m coming with you. Can’t you see what she’s
upto?”
“Please. Pooja’s just a colleague going through a rough patch. As a
friend, I have to help her out, show her a bit of compassion and
kindness.”
“Compassion? It may soon turn into passion!” the wife says
sarcastically, “Drying a divorcee’s tears is one of the most
dangerous pastimes for a man, especially a married man.”
“Pastime? I’m not going there for amusement, but to help out a
colleague.”
“Anattractive colleague in distress, isn’t it? And our Knight in
shining armor is rushing to her aid!”
“Okay. Why don’t you come along and see for yourself,” the husband
says. The moment he utters those words he instantly regrets it but
it is too late, his wife has already picked up her purse and is
heading towards the door.
“Why are they divorcing?” the wife asks, as they are driving in
their car from their house towards the Family Court.
“It’s divorce by mutual consent.”
“Mutual consent! What nonsense! There must be some other reason.”
“No. They have just agreed to separate.”
“If they can agree to separate why can’t they agree to stay
together?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask her that!” the husband says
irritated.
‘Ofcourse I will. And I’ll give a piece of my mind to her husband
too. Tell him to stop harassing his wife.”
“Please. For heaven’s sake don’t say anything there. They are
parting amicably, as friends.”
“There is no such thing as amicable divorce. If a marital
relationship is amicable, why divorce in the first place? If they
can divorce and remain friends, why can’t they remain married and be
friends?”
“Will you please keep quiet! I’m driving.”
“What’s her husband’s name?”
“Abhishek.”
“See! Pooja and Abhishek! Even their names are compatible,” the wife
says. “There must be some adultery involved. This Abhishek must be
having an affair. Or it must be Pooja. I’m sure she is having an
affair.”
“Don’t be stupid. She’s not like that.”
“How do you know?”
“I know her for so many years now. She’s quite close tome. She’s
told me everything.”
“Close to you? My God! I hope it’s not you?”
“Will you please shut up! I told you it’s mutual incompatibility.”
“Incompatibility, my foot! Let me tell you there is no one more
incompatible than both of us. But are we divorcing?”
“Why don’t we? At least I’ll have some peace and respite from your
constant nagging.”
“Ah! So you can marry her is it? You’ve got a hope in heaven! I’ll
cling on to you till my dying day. And follow you even after that.”
They drive in silence for a while and then the wife asks, “Has she
got any kids?”
“Yes. Two. A boy and a girl. In school.”
“Poor children. What will happen to them?”
“They’ll go off to a boarding school for a while till Pooja settles
down.”
“It’s funny. They’ve got children and are divorcing. We haven’t any
but we are carrying on together!”
‘Yes,” the husband says, “I really wonder! We constantly fight but
stay together; and they have such a cordial relationship but want to
separate.”
“Marital relationships are not supposed to be cordial and cold,” the
wife says snuggling up to her husband.
“I’ve realized one thing,” says the husband.
“What?”
“The opposite of love is not hate; it is indifference.”
May 7, 2006
Top |
Stories
The Week of May 7, 2006
India-Pakistan Must Jointly Combat Terrorism
by Rajinder Puri
Releasing Masood Azhar was a Political Decision
by MH Ahsan
Extinction of Democracies and The Irish Elk by
Gaurang Bhatt, MD
Bhutan: India's Trusted Strategic Friend and
Ally in South Asia by Dr. Subhash Kapila
What is the Solution to the Kashmir Imbroglio
by TA Ramesh
Natural Disaster: A Concern for Security by
VK Joshi
High on Grass by Chitra Balasubramaniam
Look Around You by Naira Yaqoob
An Indian Summer by Dr. Prasenjit Maiti
The Question of Truth and Yogic Practice by
Ashish Nangia
Myths in Jyotish by Rohiniranjan
The Fairy Tale Code by Kelley Bell
Make Travel Fun for your Little One by
Garima Gupta
A Passionate Cry for Human Dignity by V.
Sundaram
Never Victorious, Never Defeated A Book
Review by Amreeta Sen
Bankim's Krishna-Charita : Some Observations
by Major Gen. Shekhar Sen, VSM
VPN : An Introduction by Ruchi
Gupta
The Witty Side by Melvin Durai
O Cancer: I am a Fighter Too by Ravi Pipal
My Mother : A Cup of Wonder by Dhiraj Bhimji
Raniga
Suseela a short story by NS Murty
Divorce a short story by Vikram Karve
Naushad : End of an Era by Ramendra Kumar
Interview with Emraan Hashmi and Shiney Ahuja by
MH Ahsan
To be Single and a Mother by Karina Araos
Plenty but not
Enough by Kavita Devgan
Ayurveda as a Career by Pallavi Bhattacharya
|
|
