It's a very common practice today for both couples in a marriage to be working. In other words, double income has become more of a norm than an exception. Naturally couples these days share not just their lives and their space but also their financial burden, such as the EMIs, the rent, the bills and the other miscellaneous expenses. Things work out smoothly and the balance of power works out just fine. But what happens when suddenly one of them loses his/her job and the power scale starts tipping due to unequal monetary contribution? Does the bond take a beating because of the uneven financial status? Does the shift from double income to single income affect the relationship? Take the case of Amit and Soumya (names changed to protect identity). When they got married they were both working in the same IT firm but in different departments. That’s when they fell in love and decided to get married. They were both independent, socially active and loved splurging. But trouble started when Soumya had to leave her job following a major tiff with her boss. After she left her job, she started looking for another one. She started some freelance work, but it was nothing compared to what she had been earning. Soon it started taking a toll on their marriage, as they had to cut down on their outings and fun. For Soumya it was equally traumatic since she was now in a position where she had to ask Amit for anything or everything that was needed in the house. “I was shocked at how he started snapping every time I told him about buying something. I suddenly felt that he had married me not for me but for the income I got home, which had made our lives so comfortable and extravagant,” she said. Counsellors say that it was often such phases that bring marriages to a make-or-break stage. It’s crucial that couples handle such moments in their married life with their head not their hearts; with maturity, with composure and not make it an ego issue or a personal one. Since it is an issue that concerns both partners equally, it's best for them to work things out mutually and reach a consensus. Only then can the couples ride through this stumbling block. Amrita Sharma is author of the book “What Did I Ever See in Him” published by Penguin.
