Thursday, October 8, 2009

The One Who Walked Out

She is from an aristocratic Syrian Christian family in Kerala. It was surprising that she was allowed to continue her studies after graduation. Soon after her post graduation was over, she was married off into another so called aristocratic family. The guy was well placed, a chief engineer in merchant navy. The perfect recipe for bliss, right?

10 years later....

She is as thin as a skeleton, with permanent dark circles under her eyes. The once effervescent self has given way to a harried and drawn look. At first she would not tell anyone what was wrong. Then the stories started coming out one by one. If she doesn't take the phone after two rings, she was out gallivanting with someone, if she went out it was to meet someone, if she went home it was to complain about him, if she attended any function even that of immediate family it was to attract attention.

She even put up with physical abuse thinking of her kids. But when he tried stopping her from meeting her brother accusing her of something even beyond her wildest imaginations, she decided she had had enough. She walked out on him with her two kids. Her family by then was in almost dire straits. Without losing heart, leaving her kids with her mother, she went to work in a college in the neighbouring town.

The story did not end there. The guy came back, took the kids and went home. All the while, his family turned a blind eye to what was happening. Their boy could do no wrong. She waited for two months for her kids to come back. Then went and lodged a complaint with the Women's Commission. The father had to bring the kids to the police station. She was allowed to take the kids home for two days. On the third day, when he came, the kids refused to go back with him.

It has been four months now. She has no clue where he is. Kids and her are staying in a small rented accomodation. Her father has paid her kid's school fees. She is struggling to make the ends meet. No complaints to anyone, a stoic look on her face, she decided to take each day as it comes. The fact that he has two luxurious apartments in the city and the obnoxious amount of money he is making does not seem to affect her at all. She just knows she is never going back to him.

Dear A, when I think of how you used to be scared to go from one room to another at night, how someone had to be with you wherever you went, how carefree you used to be, I salute you. Especially so when I hear of other so called emancipated women staying put in their abusive marriages just so that they continue to have a luxurious lifestyle.

I wish with all my heart that I get to see the old you sometime soon. Of all people you don't deserve this.

17 comments:

  1. This happens in one of the most "liberated" states of India.

    Good for her and children that they walked out of that abusive relationship though I hope that he is made to pay.

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  2. really sad to here this...may god give this lady strength to fight this...i cant help but swear at this guy...this is too much for one person to bear...i pray she renews her life stronger and has the spirit to move along...

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  3. OMG! I salute the brave woman! Hw many of them r still entangled in those abusive marriages!

    God bless her and the family soon!

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  4. hmm... hope she settles down into a beautiful life with her children and whatever she could do.

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  5. I do not know what to say.
    There are many women like her who go through this every day. I am glad that she found the courage to walk out with her kids.
    May god give her the strength to go on and lead a better life one day.

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  6. So glad she walked out.....there is no medicine which can cure suspicion.

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  7. And I was reading in a blog today claims about how more women have mental problems than men have, because they are weaker!!!

    I think this man had some mental problem. And my best wishes and hugs to this courageous woman. It is difficult to live on one's own, I hope the law and her family helps her, and she does gets child support... and of course I hope she makes a comfortable, peaceful life for herself and her two children.

    My warmest, heartfelt wishes to her!

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  8. Oh god! This is so sad and shocking! Good for her that she took the decision to walk out! It must have been so difficult for her to take the decision, which makes it so much more commendable! I hope your friend has a wonderful life, after all that she went through.. It is so brave of her to take this step, I just hope she gets all the support she deserves from friends and society for her courage.

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  9. An perfect example of lack of communication.I wonder what there family members where doing. At least they could have take some efforts to patch the problems up.This kinda arrogant,psych complex characters are a curse to our society.Wish, some one ask him to attend a counselor or psychologist.But i don't know whether she took the right decision or not.At the tender age, those kids need the attention and care of there father also...I wish may god give wisdom to realize his mistakes and reunite with his family and live happily ever.

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  10. Bravo to your friend for having the guts to walk our of an abusive relationship. As you rightly pointed many women refuse to walk out of bad marriages as they do not want to give up material comforts and the supposed security of having a husband. Right now your friend may have a bit of a struggle, but things can only get better for her.

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  11. It all boils down to one's upbringing which plays a big part in the character development. These doubting Thomas's all develop their characters out of the insecurity created from the family atmosphere in which they are brought up.

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  12. Know what? I know of somebody who is undergoing something very similar.... An old classmate of mine whose name starts with A. Able to relate so many things, except that she is still managing to stay with her hubby.

    Can't believe this is happening in year 2009!

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  13. I hope she is doing better. God bless!

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  14. Terrible! Hope her struggle ends soon and she'll be able to lead a normal life, without the husband.

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  15. Thanks all of you. Her travails seems to be far from over. She lost both her parents in the last few weeks. I really don't know how she is surviving but whenever I talk to her, I can sense that silent determination not to bend her head to life and its uncertainties. Thanks again for all your prayers and wishes. It means a lot to her.

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  16. hats off to that lady an I wish her all the best! she has done the right thing, may god bless her!!!

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