“I am not getting what your problem is? Does
he beat you, Slap you?” asked the mother quite irritatingly.
“No mummy, but please talk to him and
his family.” the daughter replied
“Then? What will we talk about?”
“But I am sick! I live in a jail,
literally. He checks up on me every half an hour or so, sometimes even every fifteen
minutes.’ The daughter replied with teary eyes.
“Does slapping only amount to cruelty? He
had guts to record my line-phone conversations. He enquired with the neighbors
about me mamma!” she added
“And how did you get to know all this?”
asked the mother
“Singh aunty told me that. I found the
recorder under the table. Sometimes, he locks himself up in the room and
refuses to come out for hours. It is too much papa” said the daughter as she
switched her cell phone off and threw it away in disgust.
“Beta, it happens. He loves you. Every
boy shows his love in a different manner.” The mother tried to pacify her.
“By being so obsessive? Is this love
papa? He does not allow me to work even. I left my job under his pressure” she
again looked sadly at her father.
“Beta, he is well settled and do
not forget that you are enjoying the comforts you only dreamt of.” The mother
tried to throw in some positives.
“So? Is freedom not a thing? Mummy,
diamonds have blinded you to my deep agony. A foreign honeymoon is not a surety
of a good marriage. He avoids taking me out on social occasions even. If he
does not trust me, it is better to go our own ways” the daughter said firmly.
“I agree beta, he is a bit possessive
but he is handsome and well settled too. And you are making a scene out of a
minor thing” The mother said as she paced up and down the room.
“A bit? You call this a bit! The small
dreams that a girl harbors and the ambitions she nurtures over the years always
fade behind the glittery wedding to the rich groom. They lay like dead
under the flowery aisle that often leads to a golden prison. He comes home for lunch usually unannounced and gives me strange
stares that match the shades of an internal agony and helpless doubt of a
juvenile.” The daughter said as she looked her mother in the eye.
“See, we do not want your philosophy. We
have one more daughter to marry, can’t you see girl! If you cannot help in
finding a suitable match, at least do not create troubles.” The mother heaped
on the chair avoiding the eye contact.
“Mummy, I cannot live with a psycho like
this. Firstly, you did everything in such a hurry that I could not get time to interact
properly with him. I got to know his rotten mind only after marriage. I am
repenting your mistake mummy. Look papa, are you listening?” said the daughter as
she wiped another tear.
“I think you should stop this nonsense
now and focus on your personal life. What will you do if he gets interested in
another woman? Where will you go then? Hold your life girl; hold him fast
before he slips away. After all who finds such a prince so easily! The mother
said as if trying to push her outside the house.
“Alright, there is no hope I can see
here. I am going back to that dark hole”. She said, switching on her mobile.
“My God! Look at this papa! Do you need
more proof now? I switched it off for just 10 minutes!” the daughter said as
she gaped at the screen in awe and irritation.
“Beta,
probably you are right. I think it is time to talk to him and his parents
seriously and if required, seek medical help.” The father said and stood up when
he saw 38 missed calls
in 10 mins! He wondered what was going on.
PS: Mental troubles and deviated behavior are not taken seriously in our country. Instead, marriage is considered to be a panacea of all such issues. Visiting a psychiatrist or a councilor is still a taboo. There are so many girls who are stuck with such abnormal spouses. It is necessary to seek help in such cases; it can save bigger troubles in future.
This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda. We give out creative writing prompts each weekend for Indian bloggers.
Images from http://z6.co.uk/fea3d2b8 and Blogadda.com
Very well narrated incident. Felt like I was watching this from a window! The dialogues are very real.
ReplyDeleteAll the best, Ankita!
Hi Sandhya
DeleteThank you! I am really happy that you liked this :)
Thanks!
nicely written for this weeks WOW prompt
ReplyDeleteHi Amar
DeleteThank you! I am glad that you liked it :)
I didn't know how the story would end till you gave a logical end.I agree with the girl that she should have interacted with the guy for some months before agreeing for marriage.Good story.
ReplyDeleteHello KP Sir
DeleteThank you! I am really glad that you liked it. I agree, interaction before marriage is very essential.
Haven't seen one like this yet but I am sure there are some psychos like that everywhere. Not only mothers, some girls too just want richness, not the right person. I have seen two of them very closely where the driving force of falling in love and then marrying was crorepati status of the guy.
ReplyDeleteThe girl going through this must muster courage and end all ties ASAP to get out of this jail. Well written Ankita and Good Luck for the contest!
Hi Nihar
DeleteThank you! I am very happy that you liked this post! Yes, there are so many 'gold-diggers' who marry only for money and comforts.
Thanks!
What a wonderful depiction. Each and Every line is conveying loudly the down trodden condition of a girl in our society.
ReplyDeleteIt is so common in our society to overlook such dangerous and important signs of the big future troubles and to sit and cry after everything is over.
Parents are so engrossed in petty other things and issues of society that they don’t want to even think about the security of their daughters in such situations.
And all along your lines the things that don’t go unnoticed are the fears and worries of a girl about her future after marriage. She leaves so much behind in her life to start living with a guy, a guy about whom she doesn't know much. It is really such a big risk of losing her freedom.
And in that situation instead of listening to her words, instead of giving support to her, instead of giving strength to her if the parents only push her back into that dark hole, to whom else will she go for help.
It is very sad to see that even now a girl's life and her freedom are in the hands of her husband or her parents. Moreover even a well educated-well settled girl is no exception to this. I wonder whether who is responsible for such an ill fate of a girl in our society and how it can all be rectified. Is it really possible?
Hi Aasyaan
DeleteThank you! I am very glad that you liked it :)
Our society is really strange. We spend months in selecting the wedding trousseau but when it comes to choosing a life partner, all the things are done in a hurry. In one meeting, the match is fixed without knowing any other thing except income and status of the boy. Most girls lose their freedom after marriage.
the change is coming but sadly at snail-pace..only God can help us!
Taking help with a psychiatrist is not even considered in our country! The only response one can get is " pagal thodi hun"
ReplyDeleteNice write up!!
Hi chinkslounge
Deleteyes, it is considered a sure shot sign of a being a lunatic.
thanks!
Good piece of writing, very useful topic you have chosen here.
ReplyDeleteEvery girl is just as human as a boy and she has the fundamental right and freedom to lead a happy life. The man in this post sounds like a psycho, his behavior is no way near possessiveness or obsession, it has crossed them all and reached madness. Arranged marriages are prominently practiced in India even today and it is like a lottery - if you are lucky, you have a wonderful life, else, you have to suffer - but things are changing - media is bringing more awareness, let us pray for a better future for our country.
After reading this post, I was reminded of an old Hindi film, "Do Badan", the girl(played by Asha Parekh) is tormented by her husband (played by Pran). There are many films where this violence is highlighted but if you have watched Do Badan, you will come across how inhuman and merciless some people can be.
I have never seen parents who would take their daughter's problem so easy - at least there are few such families - cause any parent would want their child to live a happy life and not be subjected to domestic violence at in-laws house.
Well written, Good luck :)
Hi Sai
DeleteThank you! I am very happy that you liked this post and the underlying point :)
In our society, the fact is, women are not treated equally, (no matter how much we fool ourselves) and a boy's biggest qualification is that he is a 'boy'. I agree, arranged marriages are like a lottery but calculated risks can be taken. Some interaction can help reveal many important things. Will watch that movie soon.
Thanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteWe had gone through this kind of situation in our family and boy was same kind .. he was like spying all the time ..never trusted her ... she was not allowed to socialize ..she was allowed to get dressed as other men would stare at her .. this was in US .. it ended up in a bad scene .. it was a divorce but after lot of noise,,, the guy was a real psycho ..it was a big mistake .. anyways its been three yrs ..and the girl got a better partner for her second time of her choice.. happy .. its better to get rid if it doesn't work in first place..rather then dragging...
Hi Harman
DeleteUnfortunately, there are so many women who bear this torture. That girl was quite lucky to have found a good match later. Yes, I also think that it is fine to get separated rather than to keep dragging such a spouse all life.
Nicely woven story. I too feel one must spend time with her or his would be before marriage.
ReplyDeleteIndeed WOW!
Hi Indrani
DeleteThank you so much! I am reallyu glad that you liked it :)
:D
He is a sadist and insecure. Ask him to take a walk.
ReplyDeleteHi SG
Deleteyes, such people are basically insecure abt their own selves. they should seek professional help.
A very relevant topic and written really well Ankita:-)).
ReplyDeleteHi Reflections
DeleteThank you very much! I am very glad that you liked it :)
Yes, yes, oh yes, Ankita.. what a conversation.. so aptly put. and HOW oh HOW does a girl in such a helpless situation convince all and sundry (parents, kith and kin included) that living with someone who constricts your basic freedom with extremely possessive behaviour that borders on mania, HOW does one convince that it's better dying than dying daily, a living death?
ReplyDeleteIndia is yet to wake up on its women who are not able to explain what they go through because there are no visible scars on the face or body.
Hi takeawalkinthewoods
DeleteThanks a lot!! I am really happy that enjoyed this post :)
yes, such a life is like dying everyday, rather every minute. In India, only visible injury scars mean cruelty, no one bothers about the emotional and mental trauma most women bear daily that too silently..
This happened to me once. It was a lady friend. She totally psyched me out!! It definitely is a deviant behavior. You did good by writing about this topic.
ReplyDeleteHi Rajesh
DeleteOK!
Thank you! I am very glad that you liked this take on the WOW prompt :)
The problem came out very well. Alas, it does not look like a problem to many.
ReplyDeleteHello Onkar
DeleteThank you! I am glad that you liked it :)
That's actually is the biggest problem.
I m so happy that you chose this topic for WOW. I try to bring out a lot of mental problems in my stories and contrary to what people think, it is so widely affecting people in our immediate surroundings. Specially in situations like the one you wrote, people are just dazzled by the outward appearance and do no think it necessary to probe further!
ReplyDeleteHi Maithili
DeleteThank you so much for liking and appreciating this take on WOW prompt.
Our society is plagued with repressed depressions that people are scared of discussing for the fear of being ostracized. Yes, the glittery outward appearance creates such a halo effect that most people fail to fathom the underlying troubles.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Ankita! You are such a talented writer and it is interesting to learn about these things! I am sorry about problems like that!
ReplyDeleteHi Katrin
DeleteThanks a lot for liking this post, I am really glad that you enjoyed it!
:)
Loved it :) seems you and I had a similar idea this time...:) but what you hav discussed is absolutely trur and practical. Women are stuck in relations...just bcos they have to. Sad but true..they have to put up with everything th guy does just keep the relationship going.
ReplyDeleteHi Preethi
DeleteThanks a lot! Yes, it seems so :)
Sadly, our society is women -unfriendly and favors only males. Yes, mostly, a woman is only blamed if something goes wrong in marital relationships..:(
very well written Ankita..Thats is the scenario in India, oI really feel pity for parents too, they are so wrapped up in their society that they fail to their daughters suffering
ReplyDeleteHi Renu
DeleteThanks a ton!! Yes, sadly, it is. Most parents are always in a hurry to marry their daughters off without bothering what she actually wants in her life.
well written...
ReplyDeletethanks ankita
Hi Krishna
DeleteThanks a lot! I am really glad that you enjoyed this post :)
Glad you wrote about it. Many women are silent sufferers. High time they took a stand.
ReplyDeleteHi Alka
DeleteThank you. I am glad you liked this post.
A very well narrated post. Emotional abuse is still not acknowledged in this country, which still thinks as long as the abuse is not physical, it is not abuse at all. Even the police and the judiciary do not acknowledge it. We need more such writings on that subtle yet cruel aspect that erodes the lives of so many women. Good take on the prompt.
ReplyDeleteAlways its been taught that women should tolerate all the nonsense from her man. High time to react. Lovely read with a powerful message. Loved your way of narration. :)
ReplyDeleteHi ME
DeleteYes, unfortunately, that's what most girls are taught most of the time. Thank you! I am so happy that you liked this take on WOW :)
Hi Jayanthi
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for appreciating this take on the prompt, i am really happy that you liked it!
yes, as long as there are no visible scars, a girl's complaint is not taken seriously.
Thank you!
You, madam, should be a playwright.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that we don't focus on things that are worth focusing and focus on things that are not. Not only the mentally off-balanced husband, even fully fine and normal men and sometimes even women have a hard time keeping faith in a woman's 'character.'
We are a transforming country. As such, we need more doctors, policemen, judges, teachers and well educated and skilled persons in all fields. From newspapers we see different statistics of the kind (statistics for example, not real) US has 86 doctors per 1000 people, India has 12.
As we grow and improve as a nation, these and many other problems will get sorted. It is funny to think that we have so many different problems and that just growing and developing, albeit in an inclusive manner will solve our problems, but I believe in it.
Hi KK
DeleteOh! Thank you sir!! :D
Yes, our focus is always on the wrong things. A woman's character is judged by all and one but when she needs help, she has to toil all alone. People enjoy rights but always forget responsibilities.
All our doctors dream of migrating to the UK, thats why I think only a dozen for 1000 people...depressing stats indeed.
There is no way out except hoping that may be some day, we will change for good.
A very different style of yours.. and very well written...
ReplyDeleteIn our society why women don't stand up for the injustice they are going through? It's because most of the humans need support and if their own parents turn back towards them they feel like orphan. And go back to the the dark hole they are dreading of. And parents realize only when they find their daughters burned or killed...
Keep it up Ankita.. All the best..
Hi Pink Teddy!
DeleteThanks a lot! I am so happy that you liked it! You are right, when parents turn a deaf ear and withdraw support, it becomes really difficult for a married girl to find safe shores and emerge out of such problems. Yes, only when a girl gets visible injury marks, is badly trashed or killed, most parents realize she is really in trouble and needs help..how idiotic of them.
Thank you dear :)
indeed a very nice post Ankita.. logical ending that what was worth reading :) ..I'm always a believer of love so would always say it would be nice if people spend some time before marriage with each other !
ReplyDeleteHi Ankur
DeleteThanks a lot! I am really happy you liked this :)
Yes, talking to and knowing each other, solves many issues.
Wonderful story Ankita. I know one such psycho who keeps track of his wife in such a manner...but I don't think his wife minds it overly. :(
ReplyDeleteHi Pankti!
DeleteThanks a ton :D
Ya that's what the main issue is..most women prefer to manage with such idiots instead of complaining.