If some marriages are made in heaven, many others end up in hell. Though a failed marriage entails heavy costs on the couple, their children and immediate family, divorce is not often the first option for many. It is often believed that those who opt for it end up in its concomitant consequences in the form of legal battles for alimony, share in property and custody of children, etc.
But the truth today is something else.
Divorce or legal separation is becoming rather common. But along with it, more often than not, the woman is found to be at the receiving end. She is thrown out of home, denied her legal rights, even custody of children by her husband. Worse, if she is uneducated and is financially not independent. Offering valuable counsel to such women is a book titled “Divorce: Don’t Break After Break-Up”. Written by Delhi-based additional district judge Swarna Kanta Sharma, the book, in its fourth edition now, is a must-read for not just those women who are facing trouble in their married life but also for those who want to help out such women in their family or in friends’ circle.
To avoid a possible criticism that the book encourages women to stay single and avoid marriage, Sharma has devoted a chapter to explain why her objective is not so. She emphasises the need for companionship in both men and women. What has driven her to write this book, she says, is to persuade women not to lose their self-confidence or self-esteem simply because of the breakdown of a marriage.
“The panacea for such a depressing situation is to develop positive thinking and achieve financial independence. The tendency of many educated women is to give up their jobs or say goodbye to their careers, which only exaggerates the sense of loneliness and makes their financial condition worse,” she underlines.
The book, published by Bookwise, is also available in Hindi.
