Srinagar, April 27 -- The corridor outside Srinagar's family court smells of damp wool and stale tea. On a cold March morning, Rehana adjusts her dupatta while her lawyer, Haseena Akhtar, arranges papers inside a worn leather briefcase.

Rehana spent six years inside a marriage that demanded everything and gave slim comfort. She cooked, cleaned, earned a salary, and raised two children. Her husband's family always wanted more.

"Household chores are easy," they said. "She should adjust further."

Rehana finally walked out. Her case joins a flood of matrimonial petitions swamping Kashmiri courts.

Advocate Akhtar sees this discord daily. "Couples arrive with egos larger than their commitment," she tells me inside a cramped chamber near the...