By Hanika Kashyap
What began as a grand love story, with hotel rooms decorated with photographs of a wife on her birthday, has now turned into a prolonged legal battle in a district court, exposing the emotional and financial complexities of contested divorces in India.
A wealthy businessman walks into a lawyer’s office with an unusual question. He is already married, but has travelled to Thailand and allegedly married his longtime mistress under the aliases “Rocky” and “Rani.” He now wants to know one thing: “What’s the legal way to live with my mistress until I get my divorce?”
His explanation leaves even seasoned lawyers surprised.
“Because I need to have sex. I have basic human needs,” he tells his counsel.
The man, according to the lawyer, is no ordinary client. He is a successful businessman with crores of rupees worth of fixed deposits in his wife’s name as well as at least four businesses. The lawyer stated that the man once booked every room of a Hyatt hotel for his wife’s birthday, decorating each room with her photographs so that whichever door she opened, she would find another tribute to herself. Yet today, the marriage has collapsed into a bitter legal battle.
The lawyer says the businessman has two children and has been in a relationship with a woman nearly 15 to 20 years younger than him. The wife, however, refuses to consent to a divorce. According to the husband, she repeatedly threatens to end her life whenever separation is discussed. The lawyer further claims that the husband has alleged his wife is involved with an ex-partner, who is himself married. None of these allegations have been adjudicated by a court, and the divorce petition before the court would primarily seek dissolution of the marriage.
For family lawyers, such emotionally charged stories are far from uncommon. Behind every divorce petition lies a complicated web of relationships, finances, accusations and personal grievances that often never become part of the formal court record.
Representing the husband, the lawyer argues that the legal system can sometimes place husbands at a strategic disadvantage once litigation begins. He explains that wives have legal remedies such as claims for maintenance, domestic violence proceedings and dowry-related complaints
available under different statutes, making litigation financially and emotionally taxing. As a result, some lawyers advise husbands to initiate divorce proceedings first to strengthen their legal position before other cases are filed.
Financial obligations remain one of the biggest concerns in such disputes. According to the lawyer, maintenance can consume a substantial portion of a husband’s income depending on the facts of the case and the court’s assessment. Apart from supporting minor children, a husband may also be directed to financially support a non-earning spouse. Child support generally continues until the children become adults, while spousal maintenance may continue according to the terms of the court’s order and applicable law, which can extend for many years depending on the circumstances.
These disputes are typically heard before district family courts, where delays are common due to the volume of pending cases. Because of the backlog in lower courts, each hearing date may be separated by four to six months, significantly extending the duration of the case.
For lawyers, the legal battle often extends far beyond questions of who is right or wrong. It becomes a test of patience, financial endurance and legal strategy.
As this businessman waits for his divorce proceedings to begin, the formal case before the court may only seek dissolution of the marriage. Yet behind those few pages of legal pleadings lies a story of wealth, alleged betrayal, competing relationships and a marriage that has unravelled into years of litigation.