ALIMONY IN INDIA

Marriages are made in heaven but not all. Separation a difficult word that puts a full stop to a relationship that was tied for a lifetime. The Indian constitution has made it required for a couple to remain together at least for a year after marriage under before seeking the court's assistance for getting separated. Additionally subsequent to filling the demand of separation in the court a couple is requested to remain together for six months to give their marriage another shot of survival . If somehow, both of the factors doesn’t convince the couple to change their decision the court initiates the process of divorce. Divorce cases can be broadly divided into two classifications:

1.      Mutual divorce- One where the two accomplices acknowledge they can't get along any longer and choose to get separate by mutual consent. This type of case gets over in couple of months. In this case the couple, with their legal advisors, can sit over the table and settle on alimony and child support. Divorce Alimony/maintenance could be paid by either the husband to the wife or by the wife to the husband, it depends on the subject to the mutual understanding between both the husband and the wife. An agreement is drawn and presented in a court. Once both parties agree upon the terms and conditions in front of a judge, they are granted divorce without any hassle.

2.      Contested divorce- These are the cases where one of the partners between the two approaches the court for a divorce, citing grounds such as cruelty or adultery. Such cases are not good but bitter and become a conflict about finances like money and property. These are unpredictable cases and includes individual laws administering marriages that shift by religion and furthermore criminal laws under which a man can look for separation and divorce alimony. They can take a minimum of two years to resolve and can go on for more than a decade if the parties are not satisfied with lower court orders and want to contest it in higher courts.

The rate of separation is expanding in India at a very fast speed and people are becoming aware of the various details related to divorce laws. The time of women's activist battles and spread of training among ladies, have added to the developing appropriateness of alimony in divorce cases. A standout amongst the most important rights under separation and marital laws is the privilege to get and claim divorce alimony (maintenance). Alimony is a monetary compensation granted to the spouse who is unable to support himself/herself or who is financially weaker by the other stronger partner in order to maintain his/her standard of living same as before separation, during or after the divorce proceedings. The term 'alimony' has its origin in the Latin word 'Alimonia', meaning sustenance. The alimony or maintenance is a commitment by laws in almost all of the nations of the world. It is normal that both the life partners regardless of sexual orientation must bear the alimony or maintenance during and after marriage.

THE LAWS OF ALIMONY IN INDIA

1.         Maintenance under section 125 Cr.P.C- wife can file maintenance case and court resulting to thought over the pay, assets and other property of wife and husband will allow month to month compensation. Anyone can apply for this section for maintenance irrespective of religion or rank. Application for interim relief should be filled, with the goal that interim relief can be granted. Court may relying on the actualities of case, grant interim maintenance also.

2.         Domestic violence act, 2005- for help and o live at matrimonial house (father-in laws home), you can likewise proclaim for return of all things given to you amid marriage and furthermore for remuneration and damages for the mental cruelity endured by you and court has capacity to choose one assurance officer, who will keep check and report court during your stay at father in laws home. This law applies to all regardless of religion or caste.

Maintenance is governed by separate act for each religion. Our society consists of five major communities: Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis and Jews.

·         The Hindu marriage act 1955 applies to all marriages Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikhs.

·         Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872, and the amended Indian Divorce Act applies to Christians.

·         The Marriage and Divorce Act for Parsis is applicable on Parsi marriages.

·         The hariat Law and the Dissolution of Muslim Act, 1937, apply to all Muslim marriages. Each community has its own personal laws derived from religious scriptures, customs and traditions. Thus, the grounds on which a Hindu can seek divorce and alimony may not be the same for every community.

The variables that the court contemplates for permanent alimony/maintenance for both husband and wife is as follows-

1.      The status of the both husband and wife- their income/salary, their properties and way of life

The position and status have reference more to the money related than to the social position. Income and money related status are the most critical variables while landing at a justified amount to be granted as alimony.

2.      The reasonable wants of the spouse

Need isn't bound to what is required for keeping the inquirer spouse alive and accommodating with basic necessity as it were. At the point when a minor child is living with the mother, the necessities of the child are additionally considered. Much accentuation is given on the reliefs appealed by the spouse by thinking about the status and station in life of the parties, the term of the marriage, support and education of the child, the capacity of the companion to earn and their future prospects, as likewise their age, wellbeing, liabilities, liabilities of the spouse and the sensible needs of the wife.

3.      The spouses own income

The court won't just consider the situation of the husband but in addition the position and circumstance of the wife. In case the wife working and drawing a good salary, the Court will surely mull over that alongside the husband's wage and afterward relying upon the realities and conditions of the case choose whether alimony is to be granted to the wife and if yes, at that point the amount she will get from the husband.

4.      In case where the claimant is living separately, whether the claimant is justified in doing so,

5.      The estimation of the petitioner's property and any pay got from such property, or from the petitioner's own income or from some other source.

TYPES OF ALIMONY

As per the Indian law, alimony is for the most part of two kinds:

1.      The one which is paid at the time of the courts procedure it is known as the maintenance amount.

2.      The other is paid after separation the last one can be paid as a single amount sum at the time of seperation or a settled portion in settled term.

THE ENTITLEMENT

All the more regularly it is the female accomplice who is qualified for the divorce settlement. Be that as it may, there are times when the male accomplice is observed to be bothered and the court passes the Judgment that the spouse would compensate his losses. There are a couple of situations where the law has been exceptionally stringent and has constrained the male accomplice to pay the divorce settlement when he doesn't have any pay source while the spouse capacities at an extremely lucrative activity. Likewise, the court may request that he restore the Stree-dhan, which is the wealth got at the time of marriage from her parents and the in-laws.

HOW MUCH ALIMONY ONE HAS TO PAY

The court chooses the genuine amount to be paid as alimony. The sum is computed to keep in view numerous parameters like the salary of the accomplices, societal status, the way of life, the number of kids, the number of years spent together and the attachment. There isn't any settled way to figure the measure of alimony however for the most part, it is the 1/3 or the 1/5 part of the pay of the paying spouse.

WHO ENDS UP PAYING THE ALIMONY?

1.      Wife

·         When wife is earning- If the husband has high pay and a regarded monetary status then the wife is qualified for alimony.

·         When wife is not earning- A divorce settlement sum is to be paid by the husband to guarantee that the wife is keeping up a similar way of life like his.

·         When she remarries- The alimony stands invalid and the husband needs to pay for the kids assuming any.

2.      Husband gets alimony

·         If the husband is not be able to earn due to some reason or is disabled, the court may ask the wife to pay the alimony/maintenance to her husband.

ALIMONY UNDER HINDU MARRIAGE ACT, 1955

In Hindus, laws with respect to divorce settlement are governed by personal and also central act. The articulation utilized as a part of the opening of Section 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 empowers the provisions of alimony or maintenance. This provisions can't be limited only to decree of judicial separation under Section 10 or divorce under Section 13. It incorporates inside the articulation all kinds of decrees such as restitution of conjugal rights under Section 9, legal partition under Section 10, proclaiming marriage as invalid and void under Section 11, cancellation of marriage as voidable under Section 12 and separation under Section 13.

Any court practicing its purview may, on application made by either the spouse can order either the husband or the wife as the case may be, to pay to the candidate for her or his maintenance such gross aggregate or such month to month or periodical total for a term not exceeding the life of the candidate

The things which court remember while choosing the quantum for support are-

·         Income of the party against whom alimony has been claimed,

·         Property of the parties against whom provision has been asserted,

·         The pay and other property of the candidate,

·         The direct of the parties and different conditions of the case.

If the court is fulfilled that there is an adjustment in the conditions of either party whenever after the quantum of divorce settlement has been fixed by the court. The court may, at the occasion of either party, change, adjust or cancel any such order in such way as the court may deem just. If the court is fulfilled that the parties in whose support an order has been made under this section has remarried or where the spouse has had sexual intercourse with any lady outside wedlock may adjust the quantum of alimony.

Right of alimony for woman according to the arrangements of Hindu Adoption And Maintenance Act, 1956- A Hindu spouse will be qualified to live independently from her better half without relinquishing her claim to maintenance and alimony will be allowed to her on the accompanying ground-

·         If the husband is blameworthy of desertation, in other words, of abandoning her without sensible reason and without her assent or against her desire, or neglecting  her;

·         If the husband has treated her with so much cruelty as to cause a sensible dread in her mind that it will be hurtful or damaging to live with her husband;

·         If the husband is experiencing a harmful type of disease;

·         If the husband has some other wife living;

·         if the husband keeps a mistress in a similar house in which his wife is living or routinely lives with a courtesan somewhere else;

·         if the husband has stopped to be a Hindu by transformation to another religion;

·         If there is some other reason legitimizing her living independently.

A Hindu wife won't be fit the bill for independent home and maintenance from her better half if she is unchaste or stops to be a Hindu by changing her religion into some different religion.

ALIMONY UNDER MUSLIM LAW

The initial step is to choose whether the maintenance will be according to Section 125 Code of Criminal Procedure or according to the arrangement of Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Divorce Act, 1986. Arrangement of area 125 CrPc is managed above in detail.

1.      Muslim woman reserves the following rights after getting divorced by their husband-

·         A sensible and reasonable provision and maintenance to be made and paid to her within the iddat period by her previous spouse.

·         A sum equivalent to the entirety of mahr or dower consented to be paid to her at the time of her marriage or later as indicated by Muslim law.

·         A title to every one of the properties given to her previously or at the time of marriage or after her marriage by her relatives or companions or the spouse or any relatives of the husband or his companions.

2.      Does a Muslim woman has some other lawful alternative accessible when her better half declines to pay her the support-

·         At the point when a divorced Muslim lady has not re-wedded and can't keep up herself after the iddat period, she may make a request coordinating such of her relatives as would be qualified to acquire her property on her death as per Muslim law to pay such sensible and reasonable maintenance to her

·         Where such divorced woman has a child, obligation is of the children to pay maintenance to her, and in case of any such child being not able pay such maintenance, obligation lies on the guardians of such women to pay maintenace to her.

·         For the situation where there is nobody to keep up the spouse at that point, State Wakf Board built up under section 9 of the Wakf Act, working in the territory in which the woman lives, is compelled by a sense of honor to pay such support as controlled by the court

3.      What to do when your better half declines to maintain you after separation-Where a sensible and reasonable arrangement and maintenance or mahr due has not been made or paid or the properties given to the wife before or at the time of marriage or after her marriage by her relatives or friends or the husband or any relatives of the husband or his friends have not been delivered to a divorced woman on her divorce then she has the following rights available.

·         She or anybody appropriately approved by her may, on her sake, make an application to a Magistrate for a request for payment of such arrangement and maintenance, mahr or dower or the delivery of properties.

·         The following is looked by the Magistrate while deciding such cases

a)      Whether the husband having sufficient means, has failed or neglected to make or pay her within the iddat period a reasonable and fair provision and maintenance for her and the children or not?

b)      The amount equal to the sum of mahr or dower has not been paid or that the properties given to her before or at the time of marriage or after her marriage by her relatives or friends or the husband or any relatives of the husband or his friends have not been delivered to her,

4.      Merits on which quantum of alimony is decided under Muslim Divorce and maintenance laws-

·         The needs of the divorced woman,

·         The standard of life relished by her during her marriage and

·         The methods for  such relatives and such maintenance shall be payable by such relatives in the proportions in which they would inherit her property.

ALIMONY UNDER CHRISTIAN LAW

Section 36 of the Indian Divorce Act, 1969 administers the course of action of provision for Christians in India. Under Section 36, a lady can guarantee her qualification to divorce settlement and the spouse will be fit the bill for paying the alimony, if coordinated by the Court. Section 36 of the Indian Divorce Act, 1969 read as follows:

·         In any suit under this Act, regardless of whether it be initiated by a husband or a wife, and regardless of whether she has obtained an order of protection, the wife may introduce an appeal for costs of the procedures and provision pending the suit.

·          Such petition will be served on the husband; and the Court, on being satisfied with reality of the announcements in that contained, may make such order on the husband for payment to the wife of the expenses of the procedures and provision pending the suit alimony pending the suit as it might deem just.

·          Given further that the request for the expenses of the procedures and alimony  pending the suit, will, as far as what many would consider possible, be discarded within sixty days of service of such appeal to on the husband.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MOBILE BILL IS NOT PAID

Besides paying for a rooftop over your head and keeping the lights on, a phone bill is presumably the highest priority on your list as an "essential" month to month cost. If you don't pay your cell phone bill, your record will go into overdue debts. Your telecommunication company could cut your telephone off so you can't make or get calls. If steps are not taken, chances are that you don't find a way to manage the debts, your record will default and the agreement will be dropped. The telecommunications companies would then be able to make a move to recover the extraordinary bill, following the ordinary debt collection process.

Your inability to settle your month to month mobile bills won't make you criminally liable, for this is the only breach of what you and the telecommunications organization have settled upon.

Unpaid bill process by the companies

At the point when a bill has been sent to you, however, the payment is not done by the date there will be following strategy taken by the telecommunication industries:

·         If the bill is not paid by end of the month a reminder will be sent by the company to pay the bill on a due date.

·         If after the due date the payment is not received, the telecommunication company will disconnect your mobile service and it will not reconnect until the full payment of the outstanding bill is done.

·         If the payment is done through cheque, payment will be considered to be gotten when the cheque is received at the company’s office.

·         Restoring services may be chargeable- reactivation

·         We maintain all authority to charge a late payment fee.

·         If the payment of the outstanding amount is not completed then the contract will be terminated and legal action will be started to recuperate the debt.

·         In some cases passing of the remarkable sum (counting any late payment or interest charges) to a debt-collecting office to gather the cash for the company.

·         Data about debt might be imparted to different associations that give credit.

Step by step process

1.      Barring

At the point when more than 2 bills stay pending, the service gets barred. That is, you won't have the capacity to use any of the Chargeable services provided by the company. You get various warning and demands and calls from them to pay them the bill. Once you pay the bill services resumes within 30 minutes of payment. Regardless of whether you guarantee to pay, they will continue services for the next 72 Hours.

2.      Suspending

All services including free services of your number like incoming calls will be banned and the number will be disconnected. You get calls and request to the other number or your email address which you have submitted to them. Services resume within 48 hours of payment and when payment is done in full. Regardless of whether you guarantee to pay, they will continue services for the next 72 Hours.

3.      Disconnection

When the service to the number gets permanently disconnected, it won't continue regardless of whether payment is done in full as the number is permanently disconnected. You will have to go through all procedure of taking another connection like you have gone through in the beginning. There is no guarantee that the same number would be allotted to you.

4.      Recovery 1

Attempts like calling the client in their alternative number which he enlisted, sending Emails and notwithstanding going to the client at his address will be done on various circumstances. Eventually, they will attempt to take out any sum which they can. That is, for instance, if you have 3200 Rs charge pending, They will call up you and begin negotiation, beginning from 3000. They will state to from pay Rs3000 and give an offer of waiving off Rs 200 and to resume service within 4 hours of payment. Most fix a sum and pays. Yet, services won't continue.

5.      Recovery 2

Here, another group experiences the CDR (call detail record) of the client. Takes out a few numbers which client has called frequently and make calls to those number and mention to them thatYour (companion/sibling/sister/child/father) has not paid the bill and influenced a major debt to xx company and mention of taking a legal action on them.

6.      Recovery 3

Their legal counsel calls in any of your number which you use now or relative, companion or anybody and will request that you make payment at any of the closest companies stores or they will send you a legal notice. Due date this time will be short and the will act to be a little rude.

7.      Legal Notice

To the address which you have enrolled while taking a connection, they will send a legal notice. More often than not, they don't continue to encourage except if it's a major sum or something unique is connected. As your PAN is included, your credit score in CIBIL goes down if the companies have tied up with CIBIL.

DIVORCE UNDER SPECIAL MARRIAGE ACT

Earlier, marriages were initiated where the bride and the groom were unaware of their identity getting hitched to, as every decision was taken by their respective guardians and meeting of bride and the groom was not a custom that prevailed (however this was in the ancient times).Times have changed and every decision identifying with marriage is taken by the bride and groom themselves in this age of nuclear families and heightened individuality.

In India, the general audacious practice is that parents select the prospective bride/groom for their children from the same caste as theirs. Inter-caste marriage is as yet considered a taboo in many areas and strata in our nation. India still follows a very rigid structure of the caste system. Individuals are relied upon marrying within their caste and whoever marries out of their caste and 'challenges' the traditional obstructions are disregarded in the society either specifically or in a secretive way.

Things get outrageous in specific situations where the families take inter-case/ inter-religion marriage as a badge of eternal dishonor. The society has turned out to be numb to the expression "honor killings" which are reported every year. Unfortunately, the families take pride in indulging in such activities.

There came a grave requirement for a law to defend the interests of those individuals who need to go for inter-caste marriage. Accordingly, the Parliament enacted the Special Marriage Act, 1954 which accommodates for a special form of marriage, its registration, and divorce. A marriage between any two persons belonging to any religion or creed may be solemnized under this Act. Being a secular Act, it plays a key role in liberating individuals from customary requirements of marriage.

The Special Marriage Act ("SMA") is not worried about the religion of the individual aiming to get married. This applies to all parties who are registered under the SMA. The Act is not worried whether the marriage occurred between the people of same religion or between persons of a different religion.

Moreover, as stated earlier the Special Marriage Act not only governs the marriage but also governs divorce between the spouses of a different religion. Sec. 28 of the Special Marriage Act primarily deals with the provisions relating to obtaining a divorce by mutual consent in respect of a marriage solemnized and/or registered under the Act, a petition for divorce by mutual consent may be presented to the District Court.

Important points to be noted- A few key points to be considered while seeking a divorce by mutual consent are as follows:

1. A petition for divorce must be presented to the District Court by both parties together.

2. The petition must be on the grounds,

•    That they have been living separately for a period of one year or more,

That they have not possessed the capacity to live together. But, in cases where the court is of the view that the petitioner has suffered endured outstanding or the respondent has demonstrated immorality on their part, a petition for divorce would be maintained, but if any misrepresentation is found on the part of the petitioner to apply for divorce before the expiry of 1 yr, the court may if any order has been passed, state the order to take effect only after the expiry of 1 yr, as mentioned in Sec. 29 of the SMA Act, and

•    That they have mutually agreed that the marriage should be dissolved.

3. The petition may be presented only after one year from the date of entering the certificate of marriage in the Marriage Certificate Book. However, relaxation may be provided in cases where exceptional hardship is suffered by the petitioner or in cases of exceptional depravity on the part of the respondent.

4. The petition seeking divorce by mutual consent could be presented to a District Court, within whose jurisdiction, either,

•    The marriage was solemnized,

•    The respondent resides, or

•    In case the wife is the petitioner, where she is residing,

•    The parties to the marriage last resided together, or

•    The petitioner resides, in cases where the respondent is residing outside the territories to which the Act extends.

5. Between 6 months after, and within 18 months of, the date of presentation of the petition seeking divorce by mutual consent, both parties must make a motion together seeking a grant of a decree of divorce.

6. Before passing a decree of divorce, the District Court considers the following, among other aspects:

•    That the petition has not been withdrawn yet,

•    That a marriage has been solemnized under the Act,

•    That the averments in the petition are true,

•    That consent for divorce has not been obtained by force, fraud or undue influence,

•    That there has not been any needless or improper delay in instituting the proceedings.

Thus, for obtaining a divorce by mutual consent under the Special Marriage Act the above-mentioned provisions and the procedure must be fulfilled by the spouses.

Provisions relating to Alimony pendente lite, permanent alimony, and maintenance:

Parties desirous of obtaining a divorce by mutual consent must, however, keep in mind that the Act also contains provisions dealing with a grant of alimony and maintenance, both permanent and during the pendency of the proceedings. In the cases of divorce by mutual consent, the parties may agree to the terms relating to payment of alimony or maintenance and the same may be incorporated in the pleadings before the Court. However, care has to be taken that suitable provisions are incorporated in the pleadings to avoid future misunderstandings or litigation. It is therefore advisable that, while discussing the various issues connected with seeking a divorce by mutual consent with their advocates, the parties must specifically discuss their arrangement and agreement on alimony and maintenance, and take suitable steps to ensure that their interest is safeguarded.

Documents needed

•    Notice duly filled and signed by both the parties;

•    Affidavit declaring that all the conditions have been fulfilled (your age, no living spouse etc);

•    Residence, DOB & ID;

•    Passport size;

•   Copy of divorce decree/order in case of a divorcee and death certificate of spouse in case of widow/widower, and

•    In case of a foreign national, a no-objection certificate from the concerned Embassy regarding his / her present status.

For further legal query relating to divorce or if you are in need of topmost divorce attorney then you can reach out to Legalresolved which is an online platform where you can find solutions to your legal queries, contact lawyers for legal aid, and manage appointments with the best and top most divorce lawyers in your city.

A DIFFERENT TAKE ON DIVORCE: RETAINING THE RESPECT

“There was no violence, no demand for dowry, no cruel in-laws, no negligence, no financial reasons, but no love either. We had no apparent reason to separate, neither was there any reason to stay together. We both found love in other streams of life, and we mutually decided to part ways.”

This was said to us by a young couple in mid-thirties, seeking mutual consent divorce and settlement of child custody, in the busy and bustling Delhi. They did not want to go for marriage counseling and work on the relationship but were determined to seek divorce and separation.

“The point is that we receive a number of cases a Month where couples seek mutual divorce, with the only reason being that they have lost their love and found it elsewhere, in other people. The mutual respect they have for is laudable, considering that they are separating. There is no quarrel, no complaints, no demands, they have parted emotionally and only need a legal sanction”.

-          Srijay, Business Development Executive, Legal Resolved

We see a new emerging trend wherein divorce is sought by couple who simply get tired of living with each other, and explore ways to bring love in life from other people, often leading to instances of infidelity and adultery. The catch is that both partners reach an amicable agreement between them and just need a lawyer to put it officially on paper. They do not complain or go for long drawn procedures in a contested divorce, no protracted false allegations, no dragging of entire family into false 498-A cases to inflict torture, no cooked up adultery stories against each other, but decide to separate peacefully. Though the rates of divorce have gone up, the settlement becomes easy because they do not play tug of war with the assets or their children; they reach terms for maintenance, alimony and child custody.

Though the rates of adultery and infidelity have shot up, a considerable number of cases are solely due to this and there is no violence or cruelty on the part of either party, and they do not level accusations or demands against each other. It is a contrast to the conventional divorce scenario where you find them unable to stand each other and looking for ways to make their side of the case stronger. We cannot judge anyone, and I find these young couples more sorted and thoughtful than the conventionally intelligent older generation that usually had their lawyers spice up their side of the divorce petition to manipulate maintenance and alimony, and seek child custody. Though infidelity and adultery brings on frowns and invites more judgments than a cruel husband or in-laws (which is still regarded normal in atleast some parts of the society), we have seem these couples display more brain and tolerance and practical insight in dealing with life, love and loss. A divorce minus the grudge and courtroom battle and ego and all the rest of the negativity is less of a worry than those women and men who silently suffer the partner’s physical/emotional torture and live with it for the sake of family and society.

These are rather just examples of two sane people, who ended up with the wrong partner and could not make it work together, but are practical in dealing with the truth and retain their mutual respect, able to think from the other person’s perspective. One wrong step does not end your life, and the moment you decide to correct and move on is the moment you take control and change your life. 

TRENDS OF DIVORCE IN CITIES

Most of the cities that are tech-hubs of India also happen to top the charts in its share of divorce and separation, due to a number of reasons. We receive an odd 450 enquiries and clients every week, seeking mutual divorce or contested divorce and with queries on ancillary matters like alimony, child custody, terms of settlement, etc.  Some of the instances reveal genuinely suffocating partners facing constant harassment and cruelty; but we also come across several cases of one spouse deliberately trapping the other in tyranny with vengeance and spite.

One sad case that came to us was a woman Akriti with two young children and had been practically deserted by her husband. They were married about 7 years back, and she was brought here from the small town she grew up in. Her husband Samwith was working in an IT company and showed little interest in family matters; but she was too naïve to react or retaliate. Eventually he stopped giving any money and stopped coming home; and she was left alone to fend for the family. She being barely educated, unemployed, and clueless about future, came to us after having got nowhere with family negotiations. We were able to secure her divorce from him showing reasons of desertion and mental cruelty. He had also got involved with another woman, so the process was easy to seek divorce. She and the children receive monthly maintenance and are now much better off.

On the contrary, we also came across a couple Parth and Lousie who got married after a scandalous love affair, against both their parents, and after 6 months of co habitation, decided to get divorced. It was all based on impulsive decisions, and once differences began to surface, they were rather interested in separating than sorting out. So they mutually decided to draw up a settlement and got mutual divorce through us.

What we have felt from observing the trend of cases that come to us, is that most young couples are inclined towards parting ways rather than hanging on, and believe in peaceful lives alone than compromising together. It is sad that all major life decisions are based on spur-of-the moment instincts in a large majority of youth today. But a large number of people also silently suffer torments and cruelty from their partners, clinging on to the norms of sanctity of marriage. The irony of this!