Every marriage isn’t a fairy-tale wedding- Must Read

Thoughts swirled in my brain as it was my first day to volunteer at the Shelter Home for rescued Women who’ve been victims of domestic abuse. I was pretty nervous about the situation, but later I prepared myself and got there.

The scenario was quite different from what I had envisioned. There were several women working merrily together, a few of them were weaving, singing, writing, cooking, cleaning, and teaching each other. No outsider would state these women to be rescued or abused.

They were joyous and content in their own little safe world. None could ever make out the trauma that they had been under. I tried approaching a woman who had a pleasant smile and was cheerfully planting a rose plant. Her smile moved me and made me even more comfortable; we started planting the sampling whilst we exchanged a few words.

There I had my first friend, Laxmi, somewhat in her mid-thirties, with a curious style and enigma. I was pretty amused by her beauty and her simplicity. We planted the sampling and later my eyes couldn’t believe the view when I saw the bruises on her hand while she pointed towards the can to fetch her some water.

The bruises were fresh and red, must be from a two-three days fight or attack. I was frightened and couldn’t believe that she went through so much pain. She tried hiding them at once, but couldn’t, tears rolled down her eyes and the charm in her eyes faded as she wept harder. It was the first time, I was encountering a situation like this, and I readily consoled her and pulled her closer. As soon as I did, she wailed in pain and wept even louder.

I let her be and continued holding her until her sobbing receded. I got her some water, made her sit comfortably, and asked her to take deep breaths. “It’s going to be all right, Laxmi, we’re going to fight this,” were my only words after experiencing the whole thing, even though I was totally unaware of her story and the situation she must’ve been into.

“I was married to a human incarnation of a monster for ten long years and I barely knew him, because all he did was abuse and torture me since we got married,” she narrated her sob story. I didn’t know if I was ready for it, but she yearned for a listener and a friend that time, so I was all ears. “My dad worked under him for several years and slowly the debts started increasing.

My father couldn’t pay the rest and soon after began the blackmail and threats. I couldn’t bear the pain and mental exhaustion my parents had to suffer because of him. After various attempts of convincing him, he didn’t agree, instead, he asked my dad to marry me to him as his wife died years ago. My dad was very unhappy with the proposal and never dreamt of me submitting my entire life to a monster like him.

I agreed right away as it would lessen my family’s biggest burden. That’s when my life upturned and I was not myself anymore, but a slave to an animal who used me for his sexual needs whenever and however. Heavy punishments were imposed if I denied to any of his requests. I was barely alive, mechanically breathing and roaming around the four walls like a soulless entity.

He abused me in every way possible and left no chance in making me feel disgusting about myself. He beat with me every object; he swore and cursed by my family. My body was slowly giving up and I could no longer survive that torture, I tried running away several times, but he somehow got me back and the abuse elevated.

Just a week ago, things heated up like never before, he tried setting me on fire as I missed his lunch timings and denied him sex as I was sick. He was enraged with my behavior and tried setting me on fire. He left the house soon after the fire ignited and there I was hauling in pain and despair. Soon I realized that this was the time to escape and start a new life of my own.

A life where I could breathe safely and live for myself and educate other women to not fall prey to such scams,” she breathed finally. It felt as if her entire life’s burden has been shouldered down. Instead of crying and gaining sympathy, she wanted strength to outgrow from her past and her traumatizing experiences.

I barely could breathe as tears rolled down my eyes and choked me to death; I was shivering and trying to get back to normal. I wasn’t expecting my first day to be this thrilling, but somehow life had its plan already. I hugged her again and accompanied her for lunch. I promised her that I’d help her throughout and make her into a much stronger woman than she already is.

Those thoughts just didn’t leave my brain and I contemplated how many other women must be going through domestic abuse in various forms. Domestic abuse is a generalized term but can be of various forms, either physical or mental torture imposed by a marital partner.

It can be intimidation, threatening, financial abuse, sexual abuse, taunting and torture. Women mostly are victims of sexual abuse and financial abuse where they’re dependent on the husband for their livelihood. Sexual abuse occurs wherein the husband cannot contain his needs and forces the partner to involve in sexual activity without her consent.

She is punished if not satisfying his needs, which involves keeping her hungry for a long time, beating, bruising; fire burns, locking her up in a closed dark place, etc.

The list of torture doesn’t get any shorter as there are multifarious ways to abuse and hurt someone when intended to. The perpetrators are basically psychopaths who enjoy seeing someone in pain and gain pleasure out of it.

Any amount of abuse yields them pleasure and they always yearn for more. Such maniacs are no different human beings, they’re as normal as any other individual but lose their conscience when they’re dissatisfied with the things they wished for.

Domestic Abuse is a very prevalent crime in this country and the most underreported crime as well. Every woman who is a victim of domestic abuse is scared of reporting it because of various societal reasons.

The most common statement that we hear every time is, “He’s a man, he’s bound to dominate and a woman should keep up with it as it is her sole duty to make the man happy!”

On this very note, we as independent human beings, should be vigilant and observant enough in society and always try lending a helping hand to everyone in need. There shall be a day when no woman would feel guilty to report the torture she’s exposed to and would choose a better life for herself.