Page 174 of 12 Years
‘Payal beta, these things may be true. But life is above all that,’ Parimal’s mother said.
‘What do you mean?’
‘All this need for attachment, it’s there because you’re not close to God.’
‘What?’ I said.
‘Yes. Attach yourself to God. Rise above all these worldly pleasures. At this age, these physical pleasures are anyway bad for you,’ she said.
‘I agree, do a fast. Paryushan is coming, it’ll help,’ Mom added.
‘She can also have some cold methi water every morning. It’ll curtail her impure thoughts,’ Parimal’s mother said.
I looked at all of them. Their great solution was to surrender myself to God, fast and drink methi water every morning?
‘We’ve had too many meetings like this. You’ve all tried to help. I appreciate that. But I’ve made my decision. I met a lawyer,’ I said.
‘What?’ everyone gasped in unison, as if I’d hired a professional assassin.
‘I want a divorce,’ I said. ‘And I say this with great sadness, because Parimal knows I’ve tried to make things work for years.’
‘You cannot divorce him,’ Dad said, his voice faint.
‘I can. It’s my right,’ I said.
‘He’s part of our family business. I can’t stop him from coming to the factory,’ Dad said.
‘Then don’t,’ I said. ‘He can continue working with you.’
‘Anand, this can’t happen,’ Parimal’s father said. ‘We’ll have no face left in society.’
‘This will be too shameful,’ Parimal’s mother said. ‘Yashodha, you know we’ll be ostracized in the community. We’ll become the gossip around town.’
‘Are you going to say anything?’ Parimal’s father turned to him in agitation.
‘She won’t listen. I’ve tried enough times,’ Parimal said.
If only he’d actually tried to talk to me … I took out a big brown envelope from my laptop bag and kept it on the coffee table in front of us. ‘This is a divorce settlement agreement.’
‘What settlement? I’m not going to give you anything. You want this, not me,’ Parimal said.
‘I want nothing. No alimony. Not even a share in the factory, which technically belongs to me because it’s my father’s factory. But I don’t care. I just want out. This is your chance to save, Parimal. If you sign this, I’ll walk away with nothing,’ I said.
Mom slapped me hard across my face. ‘Don’t think you can come and live here if you leave him,’ she said.
‘Oh, that’s what it has come to now?’ I said. ‘Fine. I won’t.’
Mom turned to my in-laws and folded her hands. ‘I’m sorry for her behaviour. I don’t know where we went wrong in her upbringing. Maybe we educated her too much.’
Parimal’s parents didn’t care about my mother’s apology or explanation. They stood up to leave.
‘I gave you my only son. He came into your family, and your business flourished. And this is how you reward me, Anand? With shame and badnaami in society?’ Parimal’s father said angrily before stomping out, his wife and son following him.
Nobody cared about our marriage. The only issue—the big shame.
‘I’m sorry, Mom, Dad,’ I said once the three of us were alone. ‘I let you down.’
‘Get out,’ Dad said, barely controlling himself.
