LIFE RECLAIMED

Ritu opened her laptop and stared at the screen.

Time had come to communicate. She could not keep it to herself any more. She couldn’t tell her parents, they were old; would be worried and fret about her. Being an only child had its disadvantages. No sibling to confide in, for one. Parents too protective and hovering over you, for other.

So that left only her best friend Priti from school. But she didn’t want to talk to her on phone, (she was in Mumbai, and Preeti stayed in Delhi) as that would somehow hurt more, verbalising the issue made it more painful.

She had decided to write to her friend.

22nd June, 2019

To: [e-mail]

From: [e-mail]

Hi. How are you? You must be surprised to see my mail, as we talk almost every day. You must be wondering, why mail? But, what I am going to tell you now, I had to write. Needed that perspective and distance. Have to see it in written word , so….

And the fact that I have still to accept it.

I am leaving Avinash. I know this will come as a complete surprise…

PS- Don’t call me up. I will not pick up your phone. I will talk about it when I am in a better space.

PPS-But you may write.

Ritu.

________________

Within a few minutes, he phone pinged, A new mail, her notification said.

Gingerly opening her inbox, she saw a new mail blinking at the top. It was from Priti.

22nd June , 2019

To: : [e-mail]

From:[e-mail]

Hey….what’s this? What happened? I am shocked. He was the love of your life. You fell for him from the moment you saw him in the canteen, in our first year at college. Your love story is still talked about in the corridors of Hindu. You always did like flamboyant, dashing guys, even in school. Avinash so fitted the bill. You were deliriously happy to have found him.

I thought you were blissfully happy with him, since your marriage five years back. So, what’s this talk of leaving him.?

Priti

________________

Ritu closed her laptop. She sat with her face cradled in her hands, her elbows resting on the table. It was difficult to pinpoint when her marriage started getting derailed. Was it when she was promoted before him at work? When instead of being happy for her, he had remarked that women always get prefrential treatment. Especially attractive ones!

Did he just insult her hard work? Her accompishments? Was he always this sexist?

24 June, 2019

To: [e-mail]

From: [e-mail]

Hi! Sorry for not replying earlier.

I don’t know how the marriage soured so fast. One day, I was happy and content and now I can’t wait for him to go to office. Initially, everything was good, but since my promotion, he has been out of sorts. Did he resent it? Did it make him feel inadequate? I guess so , given what unfolded after that.

He became surly and withdrew into himself. I tried to underplay my office commitments, but it was as if Avinash had changed. He took to drinking every day. He even raised his ahnd on me when I tried to stop him one day.

Things went downhill from there very fast. It was as if Avinash couldn’t be bothered about me or us. He started staying out late with his bachelor buddies, partying and pubbing.I would come home to a dark house. Wait for him endlessly and go to sleep.

I don’t understand! Are men’s egos so fragile? Do they always have to do better than women, and specially if that woman happens to be your wife?Is it so difficult to accept your wife doing better at work than you?

It’s not as if he was not doing well. But now he has been overlooked for promotion because he started going late to office after a late night out clubbing, missed out on important deadlines, got late for meetings.

Oh! I just heard his key in the latch.

Bye for now Ciao.

Ritu

2 July, 2019

To: : [e-mail]

From:[e-mail]

Hi ! Sorry, couldn’t reply earlier. Was travelling.

So, what are you going to do now? The Avinash that I knew and the Avinash that you are describing are poles apart. Unbelievable. I am amazed that all it took was one small gale, for the marriage to crash . I am now even more convinced that marriage is a useless tradition. You lose your independence, your worth and your sanity. I am better off alone.

Anyways, have to rush. Have a date.

Bye for now.

Priti.

5 July, 2019

To: [e-mail]

From: [e-mail]

Hi! Hope you had a good time the other day. Lucky you, leading life on your terms.

As for me, I am now looking for an exit. I don’t want to be like our mothers and women of their generation, who had no option. I have the means and the choice to figure out what I want. Otherwise, what’s the point of being educated?

People get it all wrong. Yes, financial independence does give a woman a confidence to live on her own, she is not dependent on anyone, for her material needs (and luxuries, if you know what I mean) but we are also happy to be married. I loved Avinash, but then he made it difficult for me to love what he had become.

Compromise is not what I want or will ever accept.

I am comfortable in my own skin and will perhaps find a guy who will be too. If yes, good , if not, good too!!

I am so happy that I got it out of my system. In better space now. Will call you in a bit.

Bye

Ritu.

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“Hello! Hiiiii, good to hear your voice, Ritu. Let’s meet up when I am In Mumbai next. We have lots to catch on…..go travelling, exploring as we had always wanted to !” Priti exclaimed.

“Oh Yes, Priti, I am so so ready to move on. From now on, it’s either may way or the highway,,,,, Thank you for always being there for me BFF “Ritu laughed.

 Life, here I come !!”