My next novel Family Secrets reaches the 75,000 words milestone and forges ahead! A snippet follows June 1940 “. . . . Until last year, the law excluded women from receiving a share in the Joint Family Property. Succession to property was governed by the rule of survivorship – when a member of the joint and undivided family died, his share passed on to the surviving male members, the coparceners. The old law was of men, by men, for men. It did not consider fairness and equality where women were concerned. . . .” Vikramaditya stood at the lectern adjacent to the plaintiff table, on the bar side of the airy courtroom. Gayatri Devi sat hypnotized watching Vikramaditya make his opening statement, on the first day of the trial. He was forceful yet polite, logical yet empathetic. She was seated separately along the sidewall of the plaintiff section – predictably, the only lady in the court. Sunlight reflected off the white washed halls of the courtroom. “The Hindu Women’s Right to Properties Act 1937 gave a death blow to the doctrine of survivorship.” Vikramaditya continued. “Thankfully the widow of a deceased coparcener of a Mithakshara Hindu undivided family will now have the same interest that her husband had while he was alive. Among other things, she has the right to claim partition. . . ” Her eyes downcast, Gayatri Devi adjusted the pallu of the cream-coloured sari over her head. The bank loan had helped her tide over her financial pressures for the the near future. The crown jewel was back in the safe confines of her dressing room, where it belonged. “. . . As my client, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Rajvamsh family has decided to do,” When Vikramaditya looked in her direction, she nodded her head in hasty acquiescence. “. . . Not out of choice – but out of compulsion.”
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 07:09:48 +0000