RelationshipsFeb 12, 2019
IBMdryorange

Divorce or try working it out

This is going to be a little long post to give you a full context. Take a cup of coffee so you can digest everything. Your opinion will be valuable to make sure I can make the right choice. We’re married for six years. We don’t have kids yet. It was an arranged marriage, but NOT forceful from either side. We didn’t know each other too well since I was in the US and she was in India. She did tell me once before the marriage that she is extremely emotional. Within two weeks after we got married, we had fights. She felt that I was forcing her to get an education and work in the US. From my POV, I was trying to make sure, she can do some kinda work to stay busy even if it’s non-profit. I also accept my mistake that I forced her a bit to lose weight after marriage. I was also exercising regularly to loose it. For the most part, all she did during those months was to watch TV and complaining to her friends in India about how unhappy she is in the marriage. I read a few messages. As the months pass by, her complains and fights got worse. She would scream and cry so loudly that our neighbors could easily hear it. During every single fight, she would repeat the things that happened between us all the way from before the marriage to that day. She couldn’t let go of even a single thing. It would take me 2-3 hours to calm her down every single time. Sometimes more. None of the things were major. They can easily be ignored. She would always compare me to my friends whose spouses she thought were quite happy. She would bring negativity in most of the things we discussed. Sometimes I fought back, but for the most part, I kept as much calm as I could thinking this is the first year and this is how typical girl’s behavior might be. I feel stupid now. During this time, she was also a little overweight. I offered her help, but she took it as complaints and not loving her because of that. We also traveled quite a few times in the US during this time. About a year later, her father was diagnosed with cancer. Her family didn’t have money so my family helped her father until the end. Unfortunately, he couldn’t survive. After we came back US from this incident, I kept my mouth shut (father’s advice) no matter how much she fights and cries. I will try to calm her down every single time wasting 2-3 hours each time. This time, she brought a new set of issues that happened to her while she was in India taking care of her father for a few weeks. Most of these things can be ignored, but she made big issues out of it. She would blame me and my family every single time. Again, more negativity and bringing all the bad things that happened to her all the way from before the marriage to that latest fight. Things kept mounting. I kept it calm for 4-5 months. After that, I couldn’t bear and I also started screaming every time she screamed. We took help from our couple friend. It didn’t work. This phase lasted for 18 months. In those 18 months, she prepared for her pharmacy exams in the US and failed both times. I don’t think it was a big thing for either of us. Then she realized she needs to really clear the exams and get a job. We moved to a new state for my work where we didn’t have friends to hang out with. For the next 8 months, she prepared like a champion. We didn’t fight often during this time since we didn’t have time to spend with one another. After clearing the exam, she went to a different state for a job (she wasn’t yet eligible to practice in the state we lived in). I let her go for 3 months, but my she kept dragging it for 12 months by making excuses one after another to stay there for her work. Of course, there were less fights since we didn’t see each other a lot. She is loyal. I trust her. The things got really worse after she came back and started working where we lived together now. In the last 8-10 months, there were lots of extreme fights. It might be hard to believe, but I kept calm (father advised) and didn’t fight back to give the last chance to our marriage. She didn’t want to share household expenses even if we were living together. She eventually did but told me very mean things over this every single time. She would fight over comparing herself with our friends and neighbors, share the household work, again bringing same things all the way from before the marriage to that latest fight, throwing items in the house, crying constantly for an hour without letting me say even a single word or even letting me leave the house (I have to sit in front of her while she screams and cries), extreme cry and anger, self-harm (slapping herself after screams). She called cops on me once even if I didn’t physically even touch her. Cops didn’t say anything since it was a small fight. I arranged a marriage counseling. She didn’t follow through after two meetings. I offered physiatrist. Instead, she blamed me for her condition. She arranged (without informing me) one more family friend counseling. It didn’t work either. In the last 8-10 months, we had sex maybe 10-12 times. My complaints are her extreme anger, not being able to let go even minor things that happened many years ago, too much negativity about things and people, laziness, not sharing (happily) household expenses, not letting me even speak during fights and kept blaming me for every single thing. She is now borderline obese, but I didn’t complain her since last few years. From her side, the complains are not loving/caring her enough, not spending money on her, not taking her to vacations, taking sides of my family (Forget about sides, I don’t even talk to my family regularly except my father) and the things my family has done to her in the last few years (she lived with my family for only five DAYS in last six years). I can assure that they didn’t do anything. They were minor day-to-day things that can easily be ignored. Of course, this is one side of the story. If all the things I mentioned are true, is there any hope in this marriage? Is there anything else that can be done before I move forward with the divorce? I didn’t tell her about divorce yet otherwise she would start a new set of fights. I’m 32 years old Indian man. I would really like to live peacefully and have a family with kids. I’m definitely concerned about life after divorce and finding a good partner at this age. It’s consider little older in India. I’m physically fit, own a house in the US, got high paying job in FANG and look above average. Please advise.

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beu783h Feb 12, 2019

You want advice straight up? You don't have much history of dating or courtship with her. Seems like she would also have a long list of issues with you...if we were to hear her side. Cut the cord man! You're 32. Do it now before you add a kid to the mess or you eventually cut the cord but are 40! Reduces options for both you and her. Move on! Life is too short for arranged marriages to fuck it up.

IBM dryorange OP Feb 12, 2019

You’re right. This was an arranged marriage. I never dated in my life so never knew what to expect from a relationship. Biggest mistake of my life. Feeling stupid. She would have her side of the story full of issues with me.

Amazon szwhd3 Feb 12, 2019

Divorce is a solution not a problem . I learned this after 11 years of unhappy marriage. I delayed it because like you - iI kept trying different things and sometimes things improved but overall it was going downward. The real issue is not arranged or not arranged - it is a compatibility. It takes 2 to get married and 1 to break marriage. Sometimes we just have to delay it because of unknown impact on kids, financial, social status, ego , etc. I delayed it so much until I let depression get to me. It wasn’t until I started having suicidal thoughts or wish my ex just disappear if one of us relocates that I actually did something about it and divorced. I have been married now for 2 years and now I get what love truly is. Imagine a life in which you or your partner don’t need to fake or avoid things to get along? Imagine a life in which you or your partner can just get alone without even trying hard. You can do it too while you are young. Just don’t be a dick through the divorce and understand no matter how fair you are , you are going to be the devil for a long time until people reach the “acceptance” phase. Before you pull the plug , read about divorce psychology especially phases for your own sanity.

Facebook Probe Feb 12, 2019

You've already tried counseling and you two fortunately don't have kids. The writing is on the wall.

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NerfIndian Feb 12, 2019

Get a divorce, channel all the anger you have into the gym and clearing FAANG. You'll be sorted in one year's time. Godspeed.

IBM dryorange OP Feb 12, 2019

I’m already with FANG. Is it the prestige you’re taking about?

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NerfIndian Feb 12, 2019

No, about the ego boost.

Microsoft 🐱 🐱 meows Feb 12, 2019

Every arrange marriage has the adjustment period. But you are describing a nightmare It’s not healthy dude. You need to let her go

IBM dryorange OP Feb 12, 2019

Unfortunately, in my case, it’s only getting worse. It’s time to have kids, but neither of us can imagine kids with one another. On one side she doesn’t want kids with me and on the other side she want to stay with me if I ask her to get separated during fights.

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New. Feb 12, 2019

She is emotionally connected to you. I am not sure if many people understand how it works. The person who makes you feel bitter and angry, who you shout upon and ask to gtfo is the ONLY person who can calm you down and get you out of those feelings of anger and frustration in a heartbeat. This is exactly the scenario when you are emotionally connected to someone but s/he may not be the right person for you. She wants you to gtfo there because you hurt her. At the same time, she wants you to be there because if you actually leave then it means you don't care about her, which in turn hurts her further. You get it? This is not being bipolar, this is being emotionally involved with someone, having expectations from him to behave a certain way, getting hurt when those expectations are not met.

Apple 88812122 Feb 12, 2019

Move on bro, you have a life too

Uber yTzY24 Feb 12, 2019

This has been posted before.

Google nlxS44 Feb 12, 2019

Yeah I remember this from a month or two back.

Microsoft absgrsv Feb 12, 2019

Not sure about other people but partner calling cops feels like a big deal to me.

IBM dryorange OP Feb 12, 2019

She did it out of anger. I was scared, but explain her to calm down before they arrive. Luckily, nothing happened, but maybe god was with me at that time.

Verizon Media altabaz Feb 12, 2019

God has given you second chance to divorce her. Have a girlfriend. Go strip clubs.

Adobe Fuhahgaha Feb 12, 2019

Move on!

Verizon Media altabaz Feb 12, 2019

Been there. I walked out before the marriage. I did not like her body. I politely told her I am diabetic, impotent and gay. Worked very well.

IBM dryorange OP Feb 12, 2019

I wish I had done that before. Overall, I found her a good person so I ignore that physical attraction. I thought she would shed few pounds after the marriage. Six years into the marriage, she added 20 pounds more.

Goldman Sachs wooper Feb 12, 2019

Man, I know it's cultural but arranged marriages is a bad bad thing most of the time. You must be very lucky and match with the person or one of the two has to be very passive and adjust their personality. Rise above what society expects of you and go out there and find the one who makes you feel happy. We already have too many miserable people out there. Don't make two more + N kids. You might not be the most attractive or self confident person, but guess what. It doesn't matter. Just be out there, work on the confidence and look after your self, physically and mentally.

Verizon Media altabaz Feb 12, 2019

+1

IBM dryorange OP Feb 12, 2019

I never dated before and chose arranged marriage. It was a huge mistake. It worked out well for the most of my friends so I went for it. Luckily, their partner had little understating while mine is quite stubborn.