Save Marriage with Feng Shui

This happened last year when I was on vacation in Goa. Though on a holiday, I was checking my mail every day. One particular letter interested me. I saved it and quote from this old letter that I first read when on Calangute Beach.
 "...I desperately want to save my marriage. To me divorce is an ugly word. I cannot think of living without my husband. I don't want my only son to be torn between two parents and I don't want to face a hostile society and relatives with their "I-told-you-so" smirks and ‘friends' who privately gloat at my misery. I have read, with a lot of interest, the stories where Feng Shui has improved the harmony in houses through the harmony of the elements. I want to try Feng Shui to save my marriage. I live in Panaji,Goa. Will it be possible for you to visit our house and set right its Feng Shui?"
It was eerie. It was as if destiny had brought me to Goa. Reshma's house was less than 20 kilometers away. I made an appointment and visited her house the same day, in the afternoon. She and her 4-year-old son were at home. Her husband, Jitendra Kumar, ‘was travelling on business', and had left the day before.

Nasty husband

Reshma told me a little sheepishly, "We had a solid row on the morning he was leaving on business. I was sore, as he had not even mentioned that he was going out of Goa, the previous evening. How could he be so irresponsible? He said that he had forgotten, but what was the big deal and that he was working to keep us happy. He was very nasty and hurtful. This is not the first time that he has behaved this way. It is as if he is tired of me, of us. He finds faults with whatever I do. If I want to discuss the evening's menu with him, he frowns with disapproval, and if I don't consult him, he throws tantrums at the dining table. Love has gone out of our life."
Reshma revealed that for the first time in their five-year-old relationship, Jitendra had become violent. He had slapped her before leaving the house.
"And to think that ours is a love marriage..." she sobbed, and went on, "He called yesterday and apologized on the phone and we sort of made up. But I am very worried as we have been fighting a lot after moving into this house."
Reshma felt that the quarrels began as soon as they entered their home and the situation worsened in the bedroom. "It is as if some unknown force is causing quarrels among us. I want peace of mind. I want harmony."
I said, "Your husband has apologized and that is a good sign. Let's take a look at the Feng Shui of your house." 

Marriage on the rocks

When a marriage is on the rocks, all the Feng Shui signs are there in the house...LOUD & CLEAR. I have recognized the warning signs in strange houses I have never visited before, and even when no one has mentioned their marriage as a problem area.  This house was no different.
All the classic Feng Shui taboos were broken when the Kumars' renovated the house and spent several lakhs on the décor that was to almost ruin their marriage. I have always said that water douses the fire of passion and spoils the earthy durability of a relationship. Water as an element is taboo in a bedroom and in some parts of the living room.
Ironically the same element, Water, can kickstart a career or increase the flow of money in a house if placed in the Career corner or Wealth sector. All you need is for someone to tell you where anything that represents Water may be placed.
Water can bring tears and the same Water can attract wealth, which is the most important after Health. Water is considered a symbol of wealth since time immemorial and in Feng Shui, even a leaking tap is considered symbolic of wealth being frittered away.
What I saw in Reshma's bedroom reinforced the Feng Shui theories.
Her husband had got a beautiful musical water fountain placed near their bed. "He likes to sleep with the sound of music and the waterfall," she said. But seeing my expression, she stiffened and asked, "Anything wrong with this?"
"I will tell you," I said and surveyed the room for other signs.

Jinxed painting of Donna Paula

The entire room was done in cool, soft blue that seemed peaceful. One of the walls, a wall in the Southwest, was painted dark blue and had a wavy texture. The, there were two framed reproductions on the walls. One was a painting of Donna Paula, a popular tourist spot in Goa and the other was of a waterfall.
Donna Paula was the daughter of the Portugese Viceroy. She fell in love with a local fisherman, but was not allowed to marry him. So she threw herself off a cliff and died. Today, in the place in Goa named Donna Paula, one can see a statue of this girl, gazing longingly towards the sea.
There were several other signs of clashes too. Fire and Water, the two elements that are always clashing, were too close together in their kitchen. In their living room too, similar problems of elements clashing with the ruling elements of the different corners.
I spent the entire afternoon suggesting corrections and then advised Reshma to also acquire some products and paintings as Feng Shui cures. Though on vacation, I considered this day to be well spent.

Feng Shui solves the problems

I was right. I received a call from her last week. She was full of life and zest. "I must say that Feng Shui solved our problems. The changes have happened so fast that I cannot believe it. It is as if someone has waved a magic wand. I must thank you," Reshma said.
There were some changes the organizational set up of Jitendra Kumar's company. He got promoted and didn't have to travel so much something he never liked. "It is as if there was some kind of negative energy around us and Feng Shui has replaced it with positive energy." She said.
"What about his becoming violent?"
"He has apologized and I have forgiven him. It is as if the person who hit me was someone else. Now,He is the same man that I married. Love has returned, with the bonus of his promotion," Reshma said.
I mentioned two uncanny experiences above but have written of only one. I will write about the other one in my next column. It's about a couple employed in the IT industry in Bangalore and how they saved their marriage.

Note: The right of privacy is sacred for me. The names of the people mentioned in the diary are usually changed to protect the identity of my clients. The real names are mentioned with the consent of people mentioned.