I had been a winner in almost everything in my life. I come from a middle-class family, grew up in a tier 2 city.

As the only son, with 5 sisters, I was the 'pride' of my parents. Topped my school, got into a great engineering college with an all India rank of under 200. Bagged 2 good jobs by the time I graduated. Went to Europe. Was good looking. I spoke in multiple languages. Never smoked or boozed. Spent a lot of my savings on my sisters' weddings and education. Everything like an ideal Indian good boy.

I was in Bangalore, working at an MNC, when my colleague, a woman - another fresher from my batch - became my girlfriend. She was beautiful, intelligent. We had a lot in common except for our economic backgrounds. There were other differences too like my English was not as good as hers, but when it came to technology, I was stronger. We dated for 3 years before I introduced her to my parents. Everything was like an ideal life but things change sometimes. We had different priorities in life.

I wanted to join an NGO full-time. Somehow the world didn't feel like a great place to me. It all felt very unreal.

We tried to work on the relationship a lot but I knew it was not getting better with time. We finally parted ways. My mom was actually really happy since I got rid of a "Madrasi Brahmin girl".

I took up a job in North India later. 2500km from Bangalore. Never to see her again. We did keep in touch still, hoping for something positive to happen against all odds. But no, it was not meant to be. She decided to move on with a guy who had liked her for several years. And I was so into my new passion that I thought love was not important in life anymore.

And I said YES to my parents for just any woman they choose for me.

No criterion set. So I met this girl, a simple BA pass (graduation done via distance learning, 3rd div and yes, a totally useless computer diploma) from a small town, who had no interest in studies, languages, current affairs or anything that I was into. She had never seen anything beyond her home. She also taught at a school for some time but nothing more than that.

My parents had seen her. I met her in a cafe, 3 days before our pre-planned engagement. A few months later, we were married. I made a mistake, I think. Why did I go for it? Because I had started feeling that in life, my personal pleasure doesn't matter and I'm in a noble job. I wanted to just work for humanity full time.

I had assumed that an independent working woman would never want her qualified husband working in tribal areas for almost no money. And a small town 'behenji' type girl would be fine with me. She would be a "Seedhi sadi bahu", a good wife and a good mother. She would not mind taking care of my parents. And would be low maintenance.

I had made some really bad calculations. Being a misogynist maybe -- woman, as they say, is the most difficult to understand in the entire creations of God. Right from the day of my marriage, my mother had a competition with my wife. As her only son, I was supposed to be an ideal son at every front. She and my sisters had seen my wife as a threat to their territory, perhaps. They had infinite, unrealistic expectations which were never expressed but we were judged (and labeled) for failing.

And let me tell you - my wife was no seedhi sadhi. She would leave no opportunity to take potshots at her opponents. In fact, she was very (in)famous in her family for her wicked tongue. Though I lived away from my parents, they did visit me from time to time for a couple of months.

My relationship with my wife went sour with time. She already had an issue with my mom (and vice versa). One thing led to another and we always ended up fighting badly. In fact, we already had a very bad beginning when she found my girlfriend's pictures on my laptop. She had sneaked through it. And it was just lying in some folder, I never opened that folder but she refused to believe me.

That relationship was really over for me. Fast forward 5 years. We were now parents to two beautiful kids. The relationship was always a roller coaster ride. According to her, I only 'raped' her even though I never did a thing without consent. She would be ice cold most of the days. Lying like a sack of potatoes. She wouldn't even care about her looks as long as she was with me. The room would be messy. She had serious anger issues and a very bad tongue. Something or the other like fruits or curry would be rotting somewhere in our room always.

Still, we both were trying to stay together as a couple, tolerating each other. Another year passed. My parents were getting old. She too had no social life at the remote place I lived at. Kids needed a good school. My parents' place is in the heart of the city. All good schools were within 10 min drive. We weighed our options and I moved my wife to my parents' place. I thought that everyone would get company.

That was another mistake. One more year and all hell broke loose. The two ladies - my mom and my wife - had been fighting about almost everything. Dad and I were completely stuck in the crossborder firing all day long.

My wife would spend at least 4 hrs a day over the phone, speaking to her mom and three sisters. On Diwali, she went for a strike. No work. Arguments started. She ended up throwing my 5 yr old daughter at my 70 yr old mom in front of my father and me. I couldn't hold myself back that day and I slapped her. That was another turning point.

I apologized to her with folded hands a million times. Tried to make her realize her mistake. Took her away with me for a month. Thought that things would become normal. But no. My sisters kept telling my already insecure mom that I'm that bad son they show in the movies and only THEY care for her. And also that I wanted to kill her (they really said this on my face and in their discussions multiple times) and only wanted my parents' property.

It was more than I could bear. I said no to the entire property I was going to inherit. Eventually, I found my wife a rented flat in the same city, close to my kids' school. I thought at least now everything would be fine. But no. Tragedies never end.

My wife was now romantically involved with another married man. I was hurt. I had never cheated on her. Never spoke with my ex, never flirted with a single woman after I got married. I wanted to commit suicide. I even attempted once. She knew it. But she had no remorse. She said that I never made her feel what she felt with that man.

It's true that in the initial years, I was not very romantic towards her. But in the next 2-3 years, I had developed feelings. But she said she had closed her doors already by then. Now she can throw any words at me, in just any language. She eventually said she wants to move ahead with me but every now and then she would be proclaiming her love for that man on her social media status and all. Said that 'it's not so easy'.

Now I want a divorce. But the society comes into the picture now, as always. "What will happen to your kids, what about your aged parents? What are YOU going to do at 35? Marriage is a divine institution."

And all that. So this is where I stand now. Having lost faith in humanity and relationships. I never harmed anyone. Always complied to the toughest of Indian social norms, even in the three continents I lived in.

I really did a lot for my sisters and my parents -- physically, economically, mentally. For my wife, I fought with everyone. I left a high paying MNC job to work for the underprivileged. I never lived for myself. But here I am - labelled as a bad son, a bad husband, a bad father, and a bad brother.

Totally ruined. Needless to say, my professional life has taken a heavy toll as well. Once I was seen as an ideal worker in my NGO. Now I'm more like a dead-weight. Not all returns are good. Or maybe I had done something really bad to too many women in my past life.

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