BENGALURU: Unable to bear the agony of being left at home in Bengaluru while her army husband was away at remote border camps, a woman concluded divorce was the only way out.
The husband agreed, and the couple filed a divorce petition. Their story, however, has now taken a happy turn. The Bangalore Mediation Centre (BMC), after studying their problem, has brought them back together.
Karan (23) and Anjali (21, names changed), both from Bengaluru, were married on September 11, 2013. Their union was registered the same month.
However, Karan could not take his spouse along as he was posted in a moving regiment in a North-Eastern state. Anjali ended up staying with her in-laws in Bengaluru, with Karan coming home only once a year.
She sought divorce, saying she was unable to live such a life. The couple filed a petition before the family court, seeking dissolution of their marriage by mutual consent.
The First Additional Family Court referred the matter to the BMC on November 4, after the couple filed a petition under the Hindu Marriage Act on August 19, 2015.
During mediation, Karan agreed to make all efforts to get residential quarters allotted to him, in Sikkim (present posting) or elsewhere.
“I will also submit a memorandum to my officers and make arrangements to take my wife along,” he said.
After two rounds of mediation, the couple have agreed to remain married. They now hope to lead a happy and harmonious married life.
The advocate for Karan will write to the army authorities on the need for accommodation to keep the marriage intact.
BMC Director M Chandrashekar Reddy told Express, “The couple spent little time together. In such cases, we feel a neutral person should sit and talk to them. Accordingly, we held sessions with them and their parents.”
The case took 140 minutes and two sessions to resolve. “Finally, we succeeded in reuniting the young couple,” he said. He praised the service rendered by mediators and advocates in facilitating the patch-up.
The younger generation faces compatibility problems, some of which can be resolved, he explained.
“We spend time with them and involve their families. We talk to them patiently to understand their problems,” he said.
What the mediator says
Army postings on the border jeopardise marriages, leading mediator Srikumar told City Express. “Many in the army live in the barracks and return home once a year. The wife ends up staying with the in-laws. The army should think of providing family quarters some distance from the border. That way, army men can visit their wives once a fortnight.”
22 couples reunited
In November alone (till November 21), the Bengaluru Mediation Centre had helped reunite 22 couples, the highest monthly record since its establishment in June 2007. In 10 months from January to October, the BMC has helped 65 couples reunite. The centre receives about 500 matrimonial disputes a month.