I've heard so many aunties share this desi divorce story, I'm beginning to think that either everyone really does know everyone else in our community or that it's a desi urban legend. It basically goes like this:
An American desi girl is married to a guy who has recently arrived from the motherland. They have a pretty good relationship, except that the girl still insists on going out with her old friends even if the hubby isn't in the mood for a night on the town. He forbids her from going out with her friends without him. She tells him that she'd rather divorce him than live her life according to his rules.
Every single time I've heard the story, the moral seems to be that American desi girls do not value marriage and will sooner get a divorce than be the traditional wife.
The story leads me to wonder how much time are married couples expected to spend with each other? Can they pursue their own interests and relationships without jeopardizing the marriage? Does everyone need time alone in order to maintain some sense of self?