1

“So, you two are getting divorced,” I said sipping coffee from the cup. I wasn’t

surprised. They were never really a couple. Just two people living at the same place

nothing more.

“Ok, then tell me why are you two getting a divorce? Did something happen

between you two?”

“No, not really,” he said. “I just felt that we should get divorced, and she felt that

too.”

I nodded understandingly. "It must have been a tough decision for both of you.

How did the conversation about getting divorced come up?"

"Let me reflect for a moment. Where do you think the best place is to begin this

story?"

"Take your time," I encouraged, leaning in slightly. "Start wherever feels right for

you and we can navigate the story together."

“It was Saturday evening. Like any other Saturday, I was watching TV when a

sharp thought hit me. I felt an urgent urge to get a divorce. That time my wife was in

the kitchen, preparing dinner.”

“Honey!”

“What is it now!”

“Nothing, I just wanted to say, we should get divo….” Before I could finish my

the sentence, she appeared in my room.

“Yeah! I was thinking about that too.” There was a sparking excitement in her

eyes, much like the joy in children's eyes when you announce a surprise outing.

“That is how we decided to get a divorce.”

“Pretty weird. But, I am happy for you. You are doing what you want.”

“Yeah, you are right.”

***

Indeed it was weird. Very, very weird. I thought as I was reaching my car.

***

2

I know him from my childhood days. We used to be in the same class and were

from the same neighbourhood. He had a very small group of friends. He was friends

with only 3 people.

It was a small group of close friends. Very Very close friends. But one day all 3 of

his friends died due to some kind of illness, no one knows what kind of illness it was.

After his friends passed away, he chose to leave the school. His parents, being quite

affluent, didn't have any issues with his decision.

Years passed without a trace of him, until the day when my sister brought him with

her to introduce him as her husband. She said that she met him in Paris and they

both are perfect for each other. And now they are getting divorced.

***

"Hey sis, mind grabbing a coffee at The Cafe? There's something about your

divorce I'd like to talk to you about.” I said and hung up the phone.

***

3

So, what do you want to know about our divorce?" my sister asked.

"Absolutely everything," I replied. "From the moment you two met to the reasons

behind the decision to part ways. Lay it all out for me."

“Ok then let's start from the start.”

On an April morning, after my jogging, I went to the park to rest for a while and it

was there I met him for the first time. He was there dozing off on the park bench with

a book in his hand. I think the book was ‘The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky’ but I am

not sure.

I didn’t want to wake him up so, I slowly crept to the edge of the bench but he got

up. He didn’t say anything, instead, he turned the page and started reading the book.

I too pulled out my phone and started scrolling through Instagram.

After some minutes, he asked, “Do you know sounds?”

“What kind of?” I asked.

“Any kind.”

“Umm….”

“I mean can you hear?”

“Oh. Yeah, I can. But, Why do ask that?”

“No any particular reasons.”

“Okay,” I said awkwardly.

“You know that, when a person hears a sound that sound goes to the brain of the

person.”

“Really.”

“Not really. Just a hypothesis.”

“Oh, I see.”

“The sound goes inside the ear and from there, it reaches a person's head and

that person extracts meaning out of it.”

“I hypothesise yes.”

“So, then what do you think happens to the sound that we hear but that does not

go to our head.”

“That does not hoes to head?”

“I mean the sound which we do hear but we ignore it. Let us take an example:

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

have you been in a crowded store?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Then while you were in that crowded store, you might have heard a lot of noise.”

“Yes, there was a lot of noise.”

“So then did you focus on all of that noise.”

“No, Not really.”

“But you do hear that noise.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Then where do you think that sound went? It went through your ears but never

reached its destination which is your head.”

I thought for a few minutes about that question and then all of a sudden an urge to

ask him for marriage and that urge was so bad that I could not hold myself and I said

to him,

“We should marry.”

“I was thinking that too.” He said and then we two immediately married.

***

Our life was going fine for a few years. We both had 9 to 5 jobs. At night we sat

together and had drinks watched movies, went to bed together. Just a normal

couple's life.

He had many weird habits, but it was fine for me as his weirdness was what

triggered me to marry him. So, it was not much of a problem except a few.

For example, during his day off he sits in front of a TV the whole day and watches

cartoon channels. He says it is the ultimate way to relieve stress.

On day up he wakes up very early in the morning, goes to a nearby convenience

store, and buys a whole lot of food most of them are junk food. After buying he will

return home sit on the sofa, and open up the TV.

After opening up the TV there is him, his TVand his cartoon shows, no one else.

He does not care what I do, or where I go, he just cares about his TV and his cartoon

shows.

But, but he never watches cartoons on other days. I tried asking him once,

“Babe, why don’t you watch your cartoon shows on other days?” And his answer

was I don’t know.

“Quite disappointing, isn't it?” She asked looking at me as I was drinking my

coffee.

“His habit or his answer?” I asked.

“His answer, of course.”

“Indeed it is. So, you want to divorce him due to his TV-watching habit?”

“Nope. I got used to it in no time. It just took me 2 weeks to get used to it.”

“Then, why do you want to divorce him.”

“The main reason I want to divorce him is because of his news time.”

“His news time?”

“Yes, his news time.”

“I don’t understand it.”

“Let me explain it to you. He likes watching while making love.”

“While making love?”

“Yes. During intercourse, he likes watching the news.”

“Interesting. Tell me more about it.”

What he does is before he starts he sets a timer of 3 minutes and watches the

news. And at exactly 3 minutes he closes the TV and starts coition, for 3 minutes. He

sets time for it too. And at exactly 3 minutes he stops and watches TV. He continues

this until the news program ends. After the program ends he will continue the mating

and finish it too.

For a few days, it was fine, there was not much problem with it but, as time

passed it got frustrating and frustrating. It got hard and hard to bear with and then I

stopped having intercourse with him totally.

It was after 5 months of our marriage that I stopped. Every time he asks for it, I will

make some kind of excuse and get away with it. But, my denial never really affected

him, he is just like, fine with me.

Like that, our life continued. But after a few months, his requests became more

and more frequent, at the rate that I was getting low on my excuses. At last, I gave

up and gave him what he wanted. He gave me those dreadful coition nights again.

Due to that, I wanted to divorce him. I couldn’t cope with his dreadful intercourses

anymore.

“Didn’t you ask him to do it while he watches the news?”

“I tried asking him. But, he says ‘I won't get an erection while watching the news’.”

“Ohh, I see. But, if you are the one having the problem. Then why did he ask for

the divorce.”

“Who knows?”

“Don’t you know anything about it?”

“Not really. He says it's God's wish. And it's fine by me.”

“If that’s the case then it's fine by me too. Now, what will you do after the divorce?”

“I am seeing someone.” She said and got up. “Now, I need to go. I have some

work to do.”

“OK then.” I got up too. “No, need for it will pay the bill.”

***

After paying the bill I got out of the restaurant and went home.

--The End--