Arranged marriages were like this. You moved from your father’s home to your husband’s house, trusting that the system has your back. Like the net that the trapeze artists don’t see but know will catch them if they fall, the tradition and the community that endorses this practise is supposed to be the invisible net that supports every couple who enters such a marriage purely based on their faith in their family’s good intentions.

At twenty-two, Ranjani flies out of Mumbai as a starry-eyed bride anticipating an American-style Bollywood-version of her very own happily-ever-after. And for a while life is good. By thirty, she has a Ph.D., a green card and a daughter. Although married life is not easy, Ranjani is secure in being somebody’s daughter, sister, wife, mother. 

When the family returns to India after fourteen years, her home situation deteriorates further. Two years later, Ranjani walks out of her marriage with her daughter and rebuilds a new identity as a single parent. Along the way, Ranjani suffers setbacks and losses yet learns to trust herself while moving forward with courage and confidence. 

Rewriting My Happily Ever After is an evocative, honest account of what happens when a long marriage breaks down in a culture that ignores divorce. It is a hopeful ‘what next’ memoir about the power of resilience in overcoming doubts and outdated beliefs, and ultimately finding happiness by being true to yourself. 

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