DIVORCED, NOT DONE: INDIAN WOMEN SAY ‘I DO’ AGAIN

WOMAN WISE

- NAMRATA KOHLI

When Mahua Moitra, 50, known more for sparring in the House and fiery floor speeches than a fairy-clean image, tied the knot with senior advocate and MP Pinaki Misra, 65, the photo that surfaced was almost cinematic: no drama, no declarations—just two grown-ups, hand in hand, striding into their second innings like it's nobody's business (because frankly, it isn't).

In a world obsessed with scandal and spectacle, their quiet wedding in Berlin felt like a mic drop. And while I may not vote for her politics, I'll give full marks to her personal playbook—graceful, unapologetic, and gloriously grown-up.

Let's be honest. When a man remarries, it's "normal." When a woman does, even today, eyebrows rise. She's called "bold" at best, "reckless" at worst. But that's precisely why every second marriage led by choice, not pressure, chips away at that archaic mindset. These are partnerships, not patriarchy. Dialogues, not diktats. It's less about merging homes and more about merging hearts—with full knowledge of what doesn't work. There's a refreshing maturity in second marriages: fewer games, more grounding, lesser expectations.

For generations, second marriages—especially for women—have been cloaked in whispers. Widowhood was synonymous with sacrifice. Divorce with disgrace. A woman who remarried was seen as "lucky" to have found someone again—as though it were charity. But things are changing.