For desertion, to qualify as a ground for divorce under the Hindu Marriage Act, intention to desert is:

Under section 13(1)(ib) of the Hindu Marriage Act and its Explanation, desertion requires both the fact of separation and the animus deserendi, the intention to bring cohabitation permanently to an end, without the petitioner's consent and without reasonable cause, for a continuous period of at least two years. Intention to desert is therefore "a necessary condition", but it is not sufficient on its own without actual separation for the statutory period.