FUTURE BRIGHT

Amrendra works for us as a food technologist, his sister was married to Anil around a year ago. Anil used to work in one of the gulf countries in an oil company. Both Anil and Amrendera’s families belong to eastern U.P and it was an arranged marriage. It is usually perceived that marriages like this never go wrong, due to family and social pressures.

Anil lived in Mumbai before moving to gulf, his wife stayed back, waiting for her passport, visa and other documents to arrive.
It had been a few months since Anil were gone, that his wife got a call from Anils brother who used to work in the same company as her husband. Anil was critically ill and he wanted her to come over at once. As no one in the family, living in India had a passport, and also being an employer to her brother, I was at once entrusted the job of arranging the passports. Just as I was managing things, I got a call that Anil is no more and his body is being flown into Bombay and then Lucknow, nearest airport from his village.

Anil’s wife was advised by her in-laws to go to her parent’s house and not to come to Anil’s ancestral House. Initially it was perceived that, this might be in consideration of the trauma that Anil’s parents must be going through and that the widow could be better handled at her own home.
But very soon it was realized that, she was immediately shunned from the family. Anil’s two brothers and his parents connived to keep all the wealth that Anil had created. Keeping his widow out of her right and only source of survival perhaps.
House in Bombay, postal savings, fixed deposits, life insurance, ornaments.
She was disallowed to enter the Bombay house; even her educational certificates and clothes were searched before packing her bags.
It is well known that, in these days, it is not so difficult to get these people behind bars quite easily. But then, there are a lot of people who are willing to take it lay back, and in a moment of grief, all these things seem trivial to the sufferer.

Traditional Hindu girls once married do not look at their parent’s wealth. Though law provides enough guarantees, but society does not work like that.
Even though parents of the girl would surely have a soft corner for their child, siblings usually object, citing that already much must have been spent on the wedding itself.
So now this girl has no where to go.
Girls get a B grade education compared to their male counterparts; in situations like this they are left with so much of uncertainty that their lives could be made miserable.
Just when, the girls family was contemplating legal course. A long torn battle and the miseries of Indian legal system. Something unexpected happened.
They got a mail from the oil company that Anil was working with.
The company had insured him for an approximate of Indian Equivalence of Rs. 1 crore.
And the beneficiary is his wife, by default.

Now, with all the property that Anil’s parents must have illegally possessed from the girl, must be not more than 50% of what she was about to get now.
She would have to though wait for a while, and prove her heir.
But, now I guess even her in-laws must be crying over spilled milk. They could have been smarter. Kept the girl at home, got all the money, legally and then showed their true color.
But then goose giving golden eggs was already cut open.
I guess slowly, she would be able to get her confidence back, though her loss could not be made up.

I was not very pro insurance till a few months back. One of my friends told me a nice anecdote.
He said, ‘what if you were to die tomorrow, would you not want your wife to marry again and be happy”. I said, “I guess so”. “Then would you want her to marry for money or for love” he asked. “Obviously Love” I was prompt. “But then if you don’t leave her enough, she would have to marry for money”.
I got the point.
World is not getting to be such a bad place after all.

Comment on Comments

Property rights are not limited to Land or some physical Structure. Even knowledge is Property.
Migration is the essence of human evolution and all other evolutions. You are right Mr. Hunter, that the intellect of man sometimes, lets him forget the basics. One does get insecure, lazy and would like to stick his butt to a place, forever. But then there is no such time as forever.

In a way I agree with Mukri, matrimonial relationships should not have anything in hiding. Even Adultery should be convincing.
But then men are from mars and women from wherever.
Humans are not always rational and there are so many other dimensions to a relationship. No relationship is frozen in time and can not be seen in isolation.

Try answering this Question, with any women you care for.
“How do I look?”

Neha is my Wife you Moron.
Yes I am in love.
With all the women of the world.