Shrinika Neethi

  Read part 1 and 2 for context. Viv and I in Chennai Airport during one of our travels to Jammu Amidst the panic alarm raised by my gut and the silent cries of my heart, my brain tried hard to focus on what was happening. “Okay…. So, when I booked the tickets two weeks ago, I booked the morning flight assuming it to be in the evening. I later booked my train tickets accordingly and never bothered to cross check! I had two weeks’ time to notice that but didn’t.” I have committed similar mistakes before, like mixing up the exam timetable or missing the train on smaller journeys, but this is a blunder too crucial to commit. It seemed like a sign. All this while I believed that Rahul was trying to keep me from going anywhere but now it looks like LIFE itself does not want me to go! Mind voice : Is that right? Does life want me to be in Jammu only? Viv’s diarrhea and Rahul were all signs for me to stay back? I cannot go against it, there is no escaping Life, is there?.” “Madam, the...

 Long form Article Read introduction for context. Picture: Viv's 1st flight trip  The spring birds chirping near my bedside window woke me up from my sleep. The March weather of Jammu is just the right level of cold for me - a product of Trichy’s sweltering climate round the year. My neck felt a little delicate from the cervical spondylosis I suffered from the previous week; but still for the first time in a long time, I opened my eyes looking forward to facing the day. Three months ago I decided to quit my abusive marriage, this came after years of contemplation. The slowest and toughest three months of my life. I was only waiting for my son Vivek’s (name changed) academic year to get over; the guise of a routine holiday visit to ‘nani house’ would be an unsuspected and hassle-free way for both of us to escape. This may sound deceptive but with my deteriorating mental tenacity and dwindling chances for redemption I had to play my cards right for sure shot success. I woke Viv ...