Scars of separation

Nothing more than a place where the parting from her man would be formalised. And she was dreading thatquot;parting orderquot;. But she knew there was no solution. The divorce decree had been pending for about three years now. It could not be kept in abeyance any longer, especially with a lok adalat to push it through.

The specially-constituted lok adalat bench was to hear some 20 cases of marital disputes that day. While 80 per cent of the couples came seeking the grant of divorce, just 20 per cent came requesting restoration of conjugal rights. And in most cases where a divorce was being sought, marriages had followed love. But strangely, now there was no room for fondness. Bitterness had already blown out of all proportions.

There was a lot of activity in the courtroom that day and I wondered if the ambience was conducive to discuss a matter as personal as divorce. I was sure the proceedings would result in more rancour. And unfortunately, I saw my fears taking shape as arguments in each case proceeded. I found the restive couples waiting anxiously for their chance and I found them fighting hard to malign eachother. I saw them stoop to moral lows in the process 8212; slandering each other, dissecting each other, in every manner possible.

quot;Things are getting worse,quot; I thought, and children of those alienated couples thought along, as I found them looking on, trying hard to figure out what their guardians were up to. They knew the least about what was happening and no one was bothered if they knew at all, anyway.

Of the entire lot, these little ones were the most vulnerable. Their emotions were being betrayed and they were left alone to bear the pain that would follow. I remember how hard I tried to console a child whose father had declared openly, quot;This is someone else8217;s child.quot; The judges, handling the case, had suggested a DNA test to resolve the issue, but the man had refused. There were many such examples of denial, of refusal.

Everything looked very glum that day8230; faces, moods and solutions. That is probably what happens when matters close to the heart are brought before the public. But no one seemedconcerned about the fallout of the exercise. I saw immense disregard for the other8217;s emotions on the faces of couples who gathered to seek a legal stamp on separation that day. Perhaps they were justified, for they had come to plug a festering wound. But how far were they justified in kicking off their kids? My mind questioned endlessly till it gave way.

I was no one to judge or comment. No one was. It was their pain, their decision, their child. But it did hurt to know that someone was quot;requesting the court of law to certify his destruction and that of his child too.quot; That day I understood why divorce cases keep pending for years. Because the judge, like any other sane human keeps hoping8230; in the better, if not in the best.