MUMBAI: Technically, matrimonial lawyers Mrunalini Deshmukh and Ashwini Sathe-Pathak should not be getting work calls at the moment. The Bandra family court is shut owing to the lockdown and partings-- amicable or otherwise-- will have to wait for legal permission. Still, in the past week, Deshmukh, who prefers meeting her clients in the flesh to understand body language cues, has been holding video calls with new clients such as a mother to a five-year-old who wants her to put a graceful end to her unhappy marriage while Sathe-Pathak has been sought out by two restless upper middle-class men who want her to start drafting petitions for divorce against their "hysterical" wives.Forced proximity during lockdown is breeding contempt in marriages that are on the rocks. Given that countries like China saw a surge in divorces post lockdown, matrimonial lawyers in the country too are foreseeing doomed endings for fraying marriages at the other end of the prolonged captivity period. What leads them to the prophecy is not only calls from new clients who are eager to start the process of divorce and a sense of urgency in existing clients who want to "keep everything ready," but also reports of uptick in domestic violence cases and the general economic uncertainty that has led to divorce settlements offered in some cases to be cut by 50 to 70 percent."Many marital problems such as lack of communication and other underlying issues that had been brushed under the proverbial carpet are now being swept up and are getting magnified as couples are forced to confront them," says Sonal Sheth , a psychotherapist, who has been seeing a surge in the number of married couples seeking her out for sessions 10 days since the lockdown began. Among them were a startup founder Rajiv and his entrepreneur wife of four years, Piya , who had started "micro-managing" each other. "Being confined 24X7 in a small flat for longer hours than usual, with kids at home and the added burden of housework, fears about one's health and job uncertainty have all led to stress and anxiety. Couples are taking some of that frustration out on each other as they don’t know ways of dealing with the stress together," says Sheth. During her sessions with Rajiv and Piya, it emerged that both had "suppressed" sharing with each other their fears and stresses about the economic impact of lockdown, which was leading to short tempers and emotional distancing. Sheth asked them to set up a new routine that included not only quality couple time but also time apart giving each other space to work and indulge their hobbies in solitude. She also gave them tools to improve communication skills and suggested simple solutions to mundane irritants. So since Rajiv's constant phone calls disturbed Piya, she now wears headphones.Marriage counsellors are seeing an upswing in complaints of anxiety and stress related psychosomatic issues among women who are having handle the challenge of doing chores and keeping kids engaged, in addition to working from home, with no support from their spouse. "These women have been complaining of headaches and inability to sleep due to constantly trying to plan the next day," said clinical psychologist Samindara Sawant. And while face-to-face or video sessions can help psychologists read a patient's body language better, not all couples prefer it. "Some patients request only for telephonic counselling. We work with whichever format is comfortable for them," says Sawant."Just because now their partner is at home all day, couples tend to expect far too much from their partners and blame them when the expectations are not met, leading to huge frustration," said Sheth. A homemaker who was used to a hectic social life and found herself feeling “empty and meaningless” during the lockdown, had been venting her frustration out on her businessman husband of 12 years. Sheth advised her to dive into hobbies that would improve her self-esteem. "Each partner should take ownership and responsibility to manage his/her moods and consciously develop positivity," she added.A lot of instances of sexual frustrations coming out are also being reported to therapists. But while most couples have been wanting to "just get ready for divorce and be counselled to make it amicable," there are some who are softening up. "One of my patients has made considerable progress. He and his wife have been self reflecting and pitching in equally. When that kind of introspection and thinking happens, a change is bound to be seen. It's a silver lining," said psychotherapist Preeyal Bhagchandani.