Page 17 - index
P. 17
I am 29 years old and am going through a divorce. My marriage with an NRI, born and brought up in
US, was the most terrifying experience in my whole life. My so-called family insulted me and accused me
for trivial matters. They used words like “aastheen ka saanp” for me. I was not allowed to talk to my
parents in private and all their calls had to be answered on speaker mode in front of the entire family.
My husband used to hit me too.
This mental, physical and emotional torture forced me to attempt suicide by consuming 15 pills of a US
medicine. My new family made me go through two abortions because they didn’t have insurance and
didn’t want to take one, which is so essential in US. My in-laws are amongst the richest families in US
but they treated me worse than a pauper could have treated his daughter-in-law.
It was after 18 months of my wedding that my elder brother from India came to my house to pay us a
surprise visit. He came to meet me as my family had sensed something is very wrong. Initially, he
witnessed hostility from my husband and his family when he demanded to see me. Finally, when he saw
me, he was shocked to see the changed me - reed thin, dark and weak. By then, I had lost around 15 kgs
of weight. I then poured out my heart and told him about my misery when we were alone.
It has been almost three years now since I am back home with my parental family. My mind is
experiencing a whirlpool of emotions as I am penning down my marital experience. I keep asking myself
if it was worth leaving behind my parents, my family, friends and country for a stranger. I used to
consider marriage a sacred institution wherein the husband and wife hold hands and go through the
journey of life, be it good or bad.
I am trying to move on but the horrors of my past still haunt me. Here, in India, my case is proceeding at
a snail’s pace since three years. There is no sight of justice, no ray of hope. I try and try to be
patient...but for how long?!!
-Batul
--
My cousin sister fell in love with someone and they got married. But after a few months, things changed.
Her husband and her in-laws went against her. She wasn’t allowed to meet her mother or even speak to
her. My cousin came to know that her husband was living with another woman which angered him and
led to a huge violent fight between them. The next morning, we came to know from the police station
that my sister was no more. Her husband killed her. I miss my sister and I hate the idea of marriage.
-Manasi
--
I have suffered a lot in the past seven years - mental torture, physical torture, character assassination. I
can’t forget those horrifying days and nights with my husband.
-Mishti
--
I live in Singapore. Even after being married for 21 years, my husband is very violent. His mother had
even filed a case against me a few days ago without any reason in order to throw me out of the house.
-Kanika
--
I am working very hard to support my husband but at the end of the day, I get rewarded by being beaten
and hearing hurtful things about my family. I want to take action against him but I belong to a very
small family. I can’t go back to my parents because it will add to their tension. I have a young son too. I
don’t share this with anybody because for the outside world, we are a perfect couple.
-Nazneen
14
US, was the most terrifying experience in my whole life. My so-called family insulted me and accused me
for trivial matters. They used words like “aastheen ka saanp” for me. I was not allowed to talk to my
parents in private and all their calls had to be answered on speaker mode in front of the entire family.
My husband used to hit me too.
This mental, physical and emotional torture forced me to attempt suicide by consuming 15 pills of a US
medicine. My new family made me go through two abortions because they didn’t have insurance and
didn’t want to take one, which is so essential in US. My in-laws are amongst the richest families in US
but they treated me worse than a pauper could have treated his daughter-in-law.
It was after 18 months of my wedding that my elder brother from India came to my house to pay us a
surprise visit. He came to meet me as my family had sensed something is very wrong. Initially, he
witnessed hostility from my husband and his family when he demanded to see me. Finally, when he saw
me, he was shocked to see the changed me - reed thin, dark and weak. By then, I had lost around 15 kgs
of weight. I then poured out my heart and told him about my misery when we were alone.
It has been almost three years now since I am back home with my parental family. My mind is
experiencing a whirlpool of emotions as I am penning down my marital experience. I keep asking myself
if it was worth leaving behind my parents, my family, friends and country for a stranger. I used to
consider marriage a sacred institution wherein the husband and wife hold hands and go through the
journey of life, be it good or bad.
I am trying to move on but the horrors of my past still haunt me. Here, in India, my case is proceeding at
a snail’s pace since three years. There is no sight of justice, no ray of hope. I try and try to be
patient...but for how long?!!
-Batul
--
My cousin sister fell in love with someone and they got married. But after a few months, things changed.
Her husband and her in-laws went against her. She wasn’t allowed to meet her mother or even speak to
her. My cousin came to know that her husband was living with another woman which angered him and
led to a huge violent fight between them. The next morning, we came to know from the police station
that my sister was no more. Her husband killed her. I miss my sister and I hate the idea of marriage.
-Manasi
--
I have suffered a lot in the past seven years - mental torture, physical torture, character assassination. I
can’t forget those horrifying days and nights with my husband.
-Mishti
--
I live in Singapore. Even after being married for 21 years, my husband is very violent. His mother had
even filed a case against me a few days ago without any reason in order to throw me out of the house.
-Kanika
--
I am working very hard to support my husband but at the end of the day, I get rewarded by being beaten
and hearing hurtful things about my family. I want to take action against him but I belong to a very
small family. I can’t go back to my parents because it will add to their tension. I have a young son too. I
don’t share this with anybody because for the outside world, we are a perfect couple.
-Nazneen
14
