Incompatibility

by Rajendra Peeris

Suren was a tall, handsome youth attached to a branch of Mid-ray Bank at Diyatalawa. A clever clerical hand, he was who could grasp the subject matter in no time.

The bank staff was closely knitted and could cooperate at any given time. The manager Brookes was born in New South Wales, a jovial gent who could crack a joke at the appropriate time. During long weekends the staff made it a point to visit botanical gardens or places of archaeological interest.

Suranimali was a pretty, young lady, who could have been a couple of years younger to Suren. She wore a Kandyan dress, the Osariya to office; skirt and blouse on picnics and sightseeing. She was fair complexioned, with a round face and attractive dreamy eyes. Her dark-black long hair was knitted into a single plait.

Intimacy

Before long, a close intimacy was established between Suranimali and Suren. Both of them used to be seated close to each other when going on picnics. Both sang together well rhymed duets, attracting significant applause from the rest.

The duets were really enchanting. The Manager Brookes did not fail to give a fantastic tune from his mouthorgan and the rest hummed together.

In June, Suren married Suranimali, becoming an attractive wedded couple with the ceremony bringing much bliss to the invitees.

Five years passed by. The couple was not blessed with a child. Suren gradually got used to alcohol and heavy smoking. Their intimacy gradually faded away. He frequently arrived home at dead of the night which Suranimali hotly detested.

At the beginning she tolerated him. But as time went by he became abusive.

On one rainy night she kept the front door closed as he was abusive and violent. It was thunder showers and lightning that he was exposed to without any mercy. For several times he tried his utmost to break open the door, but failed.

Matrimonial

As days passed by Suranimali detested living with him in their matrimonial home.

Even Suranimali was a shabbily dressed woman to office apart from Suren.

Their office mates advised them as to their attire but to no avail.

Suddenly Suren was transferred to a Colombo branch of the Bank, where he could travel to office from his parental home.

Suranimali got her board and lodging at a lady friend's place and was not feeling happy either. Later, on the advice of a lady lawyer she instituted action for divorce from her husband.

It was on the basis of malicious desertion on the part of the husband. It was not a heavily contested one and she was pronounced the innocent party by Court.

However, Suren's younger sister Harini was fond of Suranimali. She blamed her brother for their debacle. On the other hand Suranimali did not sever the cordial relationship she had with Harini, her sister-in-law.

On a Bank Holiday Suranimali paid a visit at Suren's parental home. And Harini was there to cordially receive her.

"Akki, I am so pleased to see you."

"Same here Nangi, it is indeed a pleasure."

"Let's go inside and be seated. There are lots of things to talk about."

"Is that so? How is your brother getting on?"

"Believe me Akki, he seems to be quite a nice person. He had mended his ways to become a pleasant person."

"Is that so? My good-gracious!"

"Akki, you won't believe, he used to be in touch with religion and philosophy."

"Sh!" in tiptoe she walked into his chamber.

He was deeply engrossed reading a book. Gently she placed her hand on his shoulder: "Suren, I am here by your side," she spoke in a gentle, soft voice."

"Oh! Suranimali, it is indeed a pleasant surprise."

"Suren dear, there are lots and lots of things I wish to discuss with you. You are my sole companion."

"I know, Suranimali, even I missed you a lot. There is one thing I really couldn't understand. Did I ever maliciously desert you?"

"Suren, please do not misunderstand me. That was my lady lawyer's insistence to obtain a divorce in Sri Lanka. Your fidelity was not in doubt. And I could not medically prove that you were sexually incompetent.

The only way we could think of was malicious desertion. Suren, I knew that you did not maliciously desert me."

"Suranimali, dear, I do not condone my behaviour at latter stages, there were lapses on my part."

"Suren, I bitterly cried till dawn the way I locked you out of home that thunderous rainy night. There were lapses on my part too. There were instances where I failed and neglected to prepare and serve you the delicious dishes you preferred to relish.

Relationship

"My conversation with you was not cordial at all."

"Suranimali, I am searching for the reason that kept us apart. We happened to lose our compatibility."

"Precisely, that was so Suren."

"Suranimali, both of us know that we had gone through a period of incompatibility. Compatibility is something that kept us together. Yet, incompatibility is not a ground for divorce in Sri Lanka. Perhaps there is no proper mechanism to ascertain and implement it.

It is our bounden duty to respect our cordial relationship."

Three months passed by after the unique meeting between Suren and Suranimali. They became even closer to each other. Suddenly, they remarried on a low profile.

Five years later two long-standing office mates of Suren and Suranimali could spot a charming couple seated on a ceramic bench in a spacious colourful flower garden. Suren kept their cute pretty little baby girl on his lap whilst Suranimali kept her head rested on his shoulder.

[Characters are fictitious]

(The writer is a lawyer by profession).