Rehana had a very conservative and strict upbringing. She was seldom allowed to speak to the guys in her MA class. But Raheem, who went for the same civil service coaching as her, claimed to have a crush on her. And that scared Rehana even further. She would avoid him like the plague. Raheem wasn't one to give up so easily. So one morning, he tracked down Rehana's mother who was on her customary morning walk at the wee hours. He literally fell at her feet and asked her for her daughter's hand. Post certain speculative and probing questions, she agreed to speak to her husband about him. The Kazis were looking to get their eldest married and this seemed like a golden opportunity. Afterall Raheem's credentials were quite impressive - he was pursuing a PhD at JNU and at the same time also trying his luck at civil service exams.
So Rehana and Raheem got married. It was decided that Rehana would also go for a PhD at the same university so as to facilitate staying in the same city. A bright student, Rehana too got started with her doctoral research but insisted on staying in bachelors' quarters. She was scared she would get mothered too soon and that would be the end of her professional career. Not to mention, her husband kept trying his luck at coaxing her to move into a couples' accommodation on campus.
Finally, Rehana conceived and a few months later gave birth to a lovely little girl. It was almost towards the end of her thesis submission. So when the baby was three months old, she left her with her mother and went back to Delhi to finish her studies. Almost a year and a half later she got her degree and also took her daughter back to live with them.
Now she works for a respectable think tank under the Ministry of External Affairs and her daughter goes to a reputable school in the Capital. Raheem is a lecturer at a government run college. A secure job that's not taking him anywhere. And that's become the bone of contention in their marriage. Only recently Rehana has found out about this other woman in Raheem's life who he wants to marry and run a parallel family set-up. In fact, this relationship has been continuing for a few years now. Rehana had completed a degree in law along with her doctorate. So as a final resort, she even tells him that this second marriage will cost him his job, because the Indian government does not accept bigamy.
The once peaceful and happy household is now akin to a war zone. The last I heard from her, Raheem has agreed to stay at home, perform his fatherly duties and not marry that other woman. But he has asked Rehana to not expect anything more from their marriage. Because it's obvious he hasn't given up on that other woman. He has refused to go for a divorce unless it is by mutual agreement. Rehana too can't call it off totally because she feels her daughter needs a father figure to fall back on and also because her earnings are not enough to give them a good life.
PS: I know she is being practical, but should dignity override practicality?
No comments:
Post a Comment