The Contract
It had been two days since Priyanka had been living in her new apartment. She has had no contact with anyone outside the house except Shaina. Priyanka had tried asking Shaina about Rajesh, but Shaina had brushed it aside saying that her lawyers were working with him and were trying to draw up their trial separation agreement.
Finally one day Shaina brought an envelope with her and handed it over to Priyanka.
She said, "Rajesh has signed these documents. I want you to go through these, sign them and hand them over to me. I will get my lawyers to file this in the court, and then our arrangement will become legal and final. My lawyers have leaned hard on Rajesh and loaded the agreement in your favor. You will now be safe in every situation and legally no harm can come to you because of your husband's deeds."
Priyanka was relieved to hear this but at the same time she also felt bad about Rajesh. He really was in deep trouble and there was nothing that she could do to help him, except to cooperate with Shaina and do whatever she asks her to do. She had also started liking Shaina in a certain way. She knew Shaina was going out of her way to help her but she was not quite sure why.
With some trepidation she started going through the legal documents but was not able to quite understand the technical jargon. Then Shaina directed her to the last page of the document which contained the summary in crisp and clear terms. The main points mentioned on that last page were:
1. I, Rajesh Sharma, have caused significant financial loss to Ms. Shaina due to my criminal actions. I am fully prepared to repent my actions and make up for all the loss that I have caused to Ms. Shaina.
2. My wife, Priyanka Sharma, has also most generously agreed to help me in repaying the debt that I owe to Ms. Shaina, for which I shall be eternally grateful to her.
3. My wife, Priyanka Sharma, is completely innocent and had no role to play in my actions.
4. As part of our repayment to Ms. Shaina, both I and my wife shall be prepared to work for Ms. Shaina, in any capacity that she deems fit, for One year.
5. During this period of One year I and Priyanka will be living separate from each other and shall not claim any marital rights, nor shall we disclose to anyone (either through words or any affectionate action) that we are married to each other.
6. During the period of separation I and Priyanka shall not try to contact each other in any way except when required or permitted by Ms. Shaina. We shall not make any physical contact with each other even if the opportunity presents itself.
7. During this period of separation I, Rajesh Sharma, shall be known as Ganpat Rao and my wife, Priyanka Sharma, shall be known as Sara Sharma. We shall take utmost care not to disclose our old names to anyone.
8. After One year Sara Sharma shall have the power to either extend the agreement or terminate it.
9. During the period of One year or on expiry of this agreement, Sara shall have full right to divorce Ganpat and annul our marriage forever.
10. During the period of separation, Sara shall have full freedom to interact with other men in any way that she deems fit.
11. I, Ganpat Rao, shall not discourage Sara (either through words or action) from entering into a physical and/or emotional relation with any other man. She shall have full right to become companion or girl friend of anyone that she chooses.
12. I, Ganpat Rao, shall not, under any circumstance, interfere with Sara's love life and shall never disclose Sara's true identity to Sara's friend or boyfriend.
13. I, Sara Sharma, shall always present myself well groomed in office, and shall comply with Ms. Shaina's advice regarding my clothes and my appearance.
Priyanka was almost shaking by the time she finished reading the complete summary. Priyanka now realized what Shaina meant when she said that the agreement was loaded in her favor and she was protected from any legal action because of Rajesh's misdeeds. But she was concerned about the clauses about her having an affair with another man. She felt surprised that Rajesh had actually signed these clauses. Far from discouraging, she thought that Rajesh was almost encouraging her to have sex with other men. She was shocked as to how Rajesh had agreed to these conditions.