It's wise to agree on honeymoon spots

Caveat nuptius - beware marriage. Or, more specifically, beware honeymoon destination. Like the morning shows the day, the honeymoon, too, shows how much of a connection you are to have with your partner 'for the rest of your (marital) life'. Here's a cautionary tale. A woman from Madhya Pradesh approached a Bhopal family court earlier this month seeking a divorce days after she returned from their honeymoon. Reason? The two had apparently earlier agreed to spend their postnuptials in Goa. A very fair place to go, even though the woman was apparently keen that they go abroad for their honeymoon, which they could jolly well afford. It turns out that the husband had other ideas. Patriotic patriarchy led to Goa being quietly junked and him going ahead booking a honeymoon in - you guessed it - Ayodhya.

To spring a surprise on your spouse is bad enough. To spring a surprise on your spouse regarding your honeymoon destination is nothing short of calamitous. Like the one-handed clap, one-person decision-making in couplehood should not exist. Alas, here it did. The new wife reportedly went through the motions, returned with her new husband from the non-beaches and non-daiquiris of Ayodhya, and has sought to be his ex-wife. We, elders, standing on the side quietly say: better after honeymoon than never.