Rashmi and Anil had received their divorce papers today. Both of them walked out of court together. Their family members were also there, and their faces clearly reflected signs of relief and victory.
After four years of a long battle, the decision was finally made.
It had been ten years since their marriage, but they had lived together only for six years. The last four years had gone into the divorce proceedings.
Rashmi held in her hands the list of dowry items she was to collect from Anil’s house, and Anil had the list of jewelry that he was to collect from Rashmi.
The court had also ordered that Anil pay a lump sum of 10 lakh rupees to Rashmi.
Both sat in the same car and reached Anil’s house. Rashmi had to identify her dowry items, so she was going to her in-law’s home after four years and for the last time, never to return again.
All other family members had gone to their homes. Only three people remained – Anil, Rashmi and Rashmi’s mother.
Anil lived alone in the city; his parents and brothers still lived in the village.
Their only son, now seven years old, was to live with Rashmi until adulthood, according to the court’s decision. Anil could meet him once a month.
As soon as Rashmi entered the house, old memories resurfaced. She had decorated every corner of that house with her own hands. Every brick carried her emotions. It was her dream home, built with love. Anil had put his heart and soul into making it come true.
Anil, exhausted, slumped on the sofa and said, “Take whatever you want. I won’t stop you.”
Rashmi looked at him carefully. In these four years, he had changed so much. Gray hair, his body was half of what it used to be and his face had lost its glow.
She walked toward the storeroom where most of her dowry was kept. Since the items were old-fashioned, they had been dumped like junk. After all, she hadn’t brought much dowry, theirs was a love marriage.
Families had only reluctantly agreed.
One day, Anil was drunk and had raised his hand on her. Angrily, Rashmi went to her mother’s home.
Then began the blame game: Anil’s relatives on one side, Rashmi’s mother on the other. Matters escalated to court and divorce followed.
Neither Rashmi returned, nor did Anil come to take her back.
Rashmi’s mother snapped, “Where’s your stuff? Nothing here. This drunkard must have sold it!”
“Quiet, Ma.”, for some reason, Rashmi didn’t like hearing Anil being called a drunkard.
Dowry items were checked off the list one by one. Rashmi only took her belongings, not touching any of Anil’s. Then she handed over the bag full of jewelry to him.
But Anil pushed it back to her, “Keep it. You’ll need it in times of trouble.”
The jewelry was worth no less than 15 lakh rupees.
“Why? Your lawyer kept shouting about these jewels in court!”, said Rashmi.
“That was in court, Rashmi. There, even I was painted as the worst drunkard and monster.”, said Anil.
Hearing this, Rashmi’s mother scowled.
Rashmi replied, “I don’t want them. I don’t even want those ten lakhs.”
“Why?”, Anil stood up and asked.
She didn’t say anything and turned her face away.
“Life is long. How will you survive? Take it, it will help you.”, saying this, Anil turned away and went into another room. Perhaps to hide the tears threatening to overflow.
Her mother was busy calling the driver.
Rashmi seized the chance and followed Anil into the room.
He was crying, making a strange face, as if struggling to hold back the storm inside. Rashmi had never seen him cry before. Seeing him like this, her heart felt oddly at peace.
But she didn’t let emotions rule her.
Calmly she said, “If you cared this much, why did you let the divorce happen?”
“I didn’t. You did.”, replied Anil.
Rashmi said, “You signed, too. Couldn’t you have just apologized?”
Anil replied, “Your family never gave me a chance. Whenever I called, they cut the line.”
“You could have come home.”, said Rashmi
Anil replied, “I didn’t have the courage.”
Just then, her mother entered and pulled her out, “Why talk to him now? The relationship is over.”
Mother and daughter sat outside on the veranda, waiting for the vehicle.
Inside, Rashmi felt shattered. She sat still, staring at the sofa. She remembered how she and Anil had saved penny by penny to buy it, searching the whole city until they found the perfect one.
Her eyes then fell on the withered tulsi (holy basil) plant. She used to care for it with devotion. It, too, seemed to have left with her.
Her restlessness grew. Ignoring her mother’s calls, she walked back inside. Anil lay face down on the bed. For a moment, she felt pity, but reminded herself that everything was over now, she couldn’t let her emotions take over.
She glanced around the messy room. Spider webs hung in corners. How much she used to hate them!
Then her eyes caught the photos on the walls – her and Anil together, smiling, embracing. Beautiful days they once had.
Her mother returned again and dragged her out.
The vehicle had arrived. Luggage was being loaded. Rashmi sat silent. Anil, hearing the sound, came out. Suddenly, he folded his hands over his ears and dropped to his knees.
“Don’t go… forgive me!”, pleased Anil.
Perhaps these were the very words she had longed to hear for four years. All her restraint broke at once. Rashmi pulled out the court’s papers and tore them up.
Before her mother could say anything, she clung to Anil, both of them crying uncontrollably.
From afar, Rashmi’s mother understood court orders are nothing but paper in front of hearts.
“If only they had been allowed to meet earlier”, she thought.
Learning:
Ego breaks relationships, but a simple apology can heal them.
Court papers and legal battles may separate people, but true love, forgiveness, and understanding have the power to bring hearts back together. Relationships thrive not on pride, but on patience, compassion, and the courage to say – I am sorry.
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