80-year-old man, 75-year-old wife part ways after year-long marriage in UP

BIJNOR: An 80-year-old man and his 75-year-old wife divorced barely a year after they married in Bijnor’s Mahmoodpur village to escape loneliness and support each other in old age, following repeated disputes over care, household expectations and living arrangements, villagers said. The couple mutually agreed to separate after relatives and village panchayat members failed to resolve their differences.Mohd Qamruddin, who has six children and is also a grandfather, had married Nafisa Begum last year in the presence of family members and relatives in Nehtaur area. Village head Khaleel Ahmad said both had been living with loneliness and decided to marry so that they could spend their remaining years peacefully together.“Initially, their married life was smooth, but differences gradually began to emerge. Minor disagreements later turned into frequent disputes, and the matter reached village panchayat,” Ahmad said, adding that relatives and community members tried several times to reconcile the couple but could not find a solution acceptable to both sides.Nafisa alleged that Qamruddin did not fulfil the promises he had made before nikah. She said he had assured her that his granddaughters would cook meals for her and also take care of her, but within days of marriage, she was made to live in a separate house. She also accused him of expecting her to work like a much younger person, which led to frequent disagreements.Ahmad said he tried to save the marriage by asking both to sit together and talk through their differences, but the efforts failed. “Both of them mutually agreed to divorce, and neither side went to court,” Ahmad said. After the divorce, Nafisa returned to live with her daughter in Nagina area. She is a widow from her earlier marriage and has children of her own, locals said.Nehtaur SHO Ravindra Pratap Singh said police were aware of the matter but neither side had approached them. “The couple did not come to police. They settled the matter mutually in the village,” he said.