Whimper
I came to know of this incident from a close friend of mine. His friend’s sister was married to a banker, well settled in career. The young lady, (or should I say an innocent girl of twenty two) was very happy with her marriage, until she met the beast in her handsome husband, within seven days of her wedding. She used to be semi-starved and beaten up regularly, by her husband and in-laws if she refused to work like a slave. They were the ones who ‘liked’ her for being a good student, stopped her from reading a single book at home. The girl kept mum despite all this. After six months, she was evicted from her own house by her wicked husband and his family. The effervescent girl is now staying with her parents. Her body is all bruised and soul thoroughly traumatized from the ‘delightful’ experience of a ‘happy marriage’.
The offenders are mostly boyfriends, husbands and in-laws. Some of the victims leave their home. But most of them don’t. They stay back and put up with the daily dose of beating and abuse, for the sake of kids, or for the faint hope of their ‘significant others’ to improve with time. They often cover up with excuses like ‘I just fell from the stairs’ or ‘cut my hand while cleaning broken glasses’ or something as simple as ‘it’s nothing’. Many of these women are highly educated and some of them even do a highly paid job. Yet they lack the courage to speak up for themselves. They are afraid of themselves. Their prolonged silence acts as a lubricant for the demon which continues its feast on millions of innocent souls.
Many of us have seen Jag Mundra’s film ‘Provoked’'. Many more have seen Sleeping with the Enemy. In the former one, the lead character, Kiranjit (who is still alive) killed her husband and in the latter, the girl fled. Well, none of the two are viable solutions. The only solution is to speak up. Yes, open up against any kind of abuse, verbal or physical. Speak up for yourself and also for others. Do not take the blows lying down. If he cannot love you, he does not have the right to strike you as well. Do not hesitate to stand up for other women around you. Don’t forget that same thing could have happened to your friend, sister or daughter or even to you. Do as much as you can. Always remember that your single act can stop another life from being lost. Let us all stand up against domestic violence against women. This is my earnest appeal to all Booksie members, men and women alike.
Email this story 
Print Story 
Add to reading list
