Divorced At 25: How I Rebuilt My Life And Triumphed

Divorced at 25, after a marriage that lasted only for 6 months, the author writes a candid and courageous account of escaping a ruinous relationship and finding happiness in her own personal goals.

I have read so many articles and watched so many movies that revolve around the idea of “turning 30!”  These listicles on social media enumerate “10 things to be done before you turn 30,” with high definition glamourous pictures. The “to do” list includes traveling around the globe, having worthy sexual encounters, discovering your passion and other exciting things that make your life worthwhile.  The other kind of “turning 30” stories revolve around the tragedy of still being single at 30.  Remember the episode of Rachel’s 30th birthday from Friends?

And then there are some like me who have been divorced by the time we were 30.  My marriage only lasted for 6 months, after an even shorter courtship (and yes, arranged marriages still happen in India).  The dissolution of the same took one and a half years.  And all of this was happening when I was about 25, at an age when most of my friends were not even engaged, I had earned the stigma of being a divorcee, a term that I find extremely regressive and judgmental.  It is a noun, like man, woman or a porcupine, an inherent definition of who I am, with a strong sense of catastrophic permanence.  A more appropriate term would be “divorced,” which is a point in time.  Yet, in a country like India, the former is used commonly so as to categorize people who have chosen these socially unacceptable paths.

In my journey, from being newly married to separated to divorced, all within a span of 2 years, I have heard all the following clichés being thrown at me:

“You are too immature, you should not have married so early.” Brutally honest family member.

“I saw it coming. You guys fought in the very honeymoon period.” Former brother-in-law with psychic powers.

“You should give yourself at least 3 years before taking such a decision. Your marriage seems workable.” Well meaning and optimistic marriage counselor.

“You are filing for divorce at such a young age, what do you plan to do with yourself now?” Wise mediator at the court.

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I got my chance.  I chose to be out of the misery, and out of a potentially ruined life.  And today I get to do what I want, to discover who I want to be.  It is liberating and exciting.

But this story is not about the not-so-progressive Indian culture, or the world’s perception of me.  It is about my triumph.  It is about what I have learned from the experience and trust me, I am a more sorted and mature person.  And why? Picture this:

You are in a ship alone with a sailor you don’t trust anymore, and the ship has caught fire.  You feel trapped.  You want to be free.  But you are afraid because you don’t know if you will be able to swim to the shore all by yourself.  You think about all the things you would want to do with your life once you are out of here. If only you could escape! One chance…

I got my chance.  I chose to be out of the misery, and out of a potentially ruined life.  And today I get to do what I want, to discover who I want to be.  It is liberating and exciting.

Today I know myself so much better. I know what kind of people I do not wish to be with, the kinds who have violated my principles, and I avoid them.  I know who are my true friends, because they were with me, amidst all my mood swings, confusion and loss of direction.  I have made new friends, who have liked me as a person, and have not let the failure of one relationship define me. I have the support of a loving family, although I live alone. I forgot to mention, I had moved to this unknown city, after my marriage and I chose to continue living here.  No, it does not bring bad memories.

It is here that I learnt to drive, travel and explore new places. I developed new hobbies like Zumba.  I became more open to taking risks, because I know that even if my dream castle breaks as easily as a pack of cards, I will be able to survive and rebuild it.  I am not protected anymore.  I am strong as a rock. I don’t depend on anybody and especially not for my happiness.

I became more open to taking risks, because I know that even if my dream castle breaks as easily as a pack of cards, I will be able to survive and rebuild it.  I am not protected anymore.  I am strong as a rock. I don’t depend on anybody and especially not for my happiness.

I write. I write a lot.  I would have never had the confidence of sharing a personal story 3 years ago.  Today, I do.  I could hide from the world.  Or I could share what I learned.

I am not trying to advocate divorce as a new age liberation, or the instant solution for bad marriages, or the path to self-discovery, or a blessing in disguise. I don’t even know if I have the power to influence or curate anybody else’s life.  All I am staying is that if you have found your reason to opt out of matrimony, don’t be afraid.  You survived the wound, you will survive the healing as well.

Image via Shutterstock.

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