There's nowhere you can be, if that isn't where you're meant to be...

The couple was sitting together. However, there was a stillness in the air between them. They prayed that this should be the last time they would see each other. The couple had never apprehended a day like this in their wildest imagination. Both of them were waiting to be called for their divorce to be granted. 

While sitting, the man thought about those early days of marriage - his first visit to her house, his first meeting with her parents, etc.  

"Nobody gets married to the first girl one sees. I would be seeing more girls, comparing them to find out the best one for me. Anyways, whoever I marry, I have to live with that girl for the rest of my life." he thought then. He was wrong, though.

When the girl came out, in her beautiful saree, with a complete traditional look, the man was spellbound. She caught all his attention. And, the formal 'let them talk alone' session gave him more confidence. They entered a room, but both were hesitant to speak. After the silence of a few minutes, they talked to each other. They knew their families' decision would be the final one, but their hearts still showed interest in one another. Soon they were called out. 

They wanted to spend more time, but they could not open up to their parents. The boy left with his family, and she was standing there, waving goodbye with a gentle smile on her face. 

A week passed, but the boy was never asked for his opinion on the girl he had just met. Their family tradition does not allow it as parents are supposed to choose your better half for the rest of your life. The girl was in the same circumstances as she, too, could not portray her views.

The boy's family called the girl's family in the evening and informed them of their consent for the marriage. Both the families were elated with their decisions. 

After the long wait of six months, the day of their marriage arrived. It was interesting that they never really knew anything about each other until that day except for academic qualifications and hobbies. They never spent long hours with each other as it wasn't allowed before marriage. 

The groom and the bride knew that their union was just a few hours and rituals away.  Now they would not need anyone's permission to spend quality time together. Their faces beamed of the inner happiness that they felt deep inside their hearts. 

The man recalled all those moments and was smiling to himself when he noticed a tinge of disappointment in her bride's face. He was a bit perplexed but learned a sad truth.

The girl had been thinking about how happy she was when she saw her wedding card for the first time and when her mother gifted her the traditional red dress for the marriage. Today, she realized that only after a few hours she would be leaving her parent's home. Tears rolled down her cheeks. However, quickly a smile came on her face when the groom, sensing everything, lowered his voice and told her, "I will always be there for you. Don't you worry." 

After completing every conceivable ritual, she entered his house and met his family members and friends. They were thrilled and slowly opened up to each other. Their love grew for each other. But with each passing year, the relationship between them took an u-turn, and by the time they realized, they were already fed up with each other's tantrums and egos. Perhaps, they were looking for a reason to live apart. Slowly and surely, their marriage was turning into a disaster. 

There was a complete lack of communication between them, and they hardly felt the need to see, feel, or even speak with each other. It seemed like a happy marriage at first. But now it looks like a couple being locked up in a cage. It seems destiny has kept the couple in the cage to rot. The very institution of marriage was severely threatened here. 

One day, she fell down the stairs, got cut at her head, and screamed in pain, but he didn't come out. She handled herself, got up, but her self-respect didn't allow her to move into the bedroom. She lay on the sofa, but couldn't sleep.

The next morning, he came up to her. He explained how everything was going wrong on the professional front. He was being accused of something which he never did. He knew that for his actions the air between him and his wife had stiffened but he valued his job more! 

The woman was disappointed; she never thought her husband would hurt her ever. She realized that their relationship had lost its value. His unrealistic expectations and unapologetic nature made her more disappointed. She decided that day; they can't be together anymore.

She left that house and reached her parent's house; they welcomed her but were surprised to see her alone. Later on, they heard everything. Her mother said it's prevalent for a wife to come across something like this. And it's okay. Her father agreed to each explanation given by her mother. But she wasn't satisfied. She could never stay in a place where she had no respect.

 She shouted out that she wanted a divorce. Her parents looked with eyes wide open. Her father claimed it is beyond their family tradition. "Once you get married, it is necessary to stay with your partner the entire life. It doesn't matter how he keeps you. And nobody ever has got divorced in our family," said her father. Her mother added, "Keep your mouth shut and return to your husband. Learn to accept the way he treats you." 

She never expected to have such pieces of advice from her parents. She thought they would fight with her. But what she got was they being against her. She told them, "I would do it alone. I need no help." 

 She filed for divorce. It was difficult for her parents to accept that she was going to break a family tradition. Her husband approached her for reconciliation, but she never agreed to it.

 The time has come. The couple was called inside the court. The man said "Sorry, I never apologized to you. I thought you would always stand with me."

She replied, "I would have surely stood in any circumstances, but my importance never existed until I left."