Love In Vengeance

CHAPTER- 53

"Really?" Shivalika looked at the ladies in surprise. She was on the rural side of the city. Her mind was confused and uncertain, so to find answers to her questions, she drove off randomly in her car, where she met some women sitting under the shade of a tree.

She felt like she should talk to them, and they accepted her wholeheartedly, She sat there removing her heels, comfortably, They were enjoying talking to her. This was when the women started sharing about their material life, one telling how much her husband is rude to her, another telling how sometimes her husband comes home drunk and hits her, How their in-laws treat them, how they are not allowed to meet their own parents without permission and to her surprise, this was normal for them as if it was a culture they are following since generation.

"This is domestic violence! No one gets the right to hit anyone! You are not their property! This is totally wrong! It's a crime!" Shivalika tried to explain them in their language.

"Arey... It's quite normal here! And he only hits when he comes drunk, that too rarely, otherwise he loves me and, cares for me" the woman who was the victim of domestic violence, told her. Shivalika looked at her in shock, they all were brainwashed. These are not their words, It is those people and society who are speaking, who filled their mind with this sh*t.

"If your partner truly loves you then he won't hit you, no matter how angry he is, not even in a drunken state, He would stand for you if his family is wrong and mistreating you. A person should know their limits, just because you are his wife doesn't mean he owns you! A marriage is based on love and respect. Your self-respect should be your priority! Wrong is wrong, you can't make it right by accepting the fate" She explained to them.

"We live in the village, didi. People here don't think like you city people, it's easy for you to say because you deal with such things every day, courts, police stations are a big thing for us, it ruins our reputation, our kids' future, people talk behind backs" The lady put her point, She was right. A woman who is dependent on her husband financially, her mindset is already dependent on her husband's behaviour and can't stand for herself until she realises her worth.

"If you keep thinking about the reputation, family, and children then when will you think about yourself?" Shivalika asked she was not surprised anymore, She understood, that she couldn't blame them when she never took a stand for herself, even after being independent, with an independent mind, She tolerated everything.

"We are women, and the culture of our country is like this, here people still blame the woman if her husband is angry if he beats her then 'isi ne kuch kiya hoga' or 'aurat hai sehna padega' we are made for this but hopefully, my husband is not like this, he loves me a lot" The another lady spoke, Shivalika smiled a bit, at least one of them was not suffering.

"I'm not saying your husbands don't love you, Maybe they do, but relationship is not all about love. Respect and trust matter a lot, You are Laxmi for your husbands. If not as a goddess but at least they can treat you like women. This society has built such a mindset, how can I complain about your husbands when even in cities people like this still exist"

"I know that even after so much of my explaining, You will do what you think is good for you, but in case you need any help, here is my card, don't hesitate to call me" She said while handing over her business card.

This is a society where a woman is not tolerated to have a love relationship but tolerates domestic violence and disrespect. Shivalika could feel the pain behind their laugh, she also had experienced violence from her parents, and disrespect from society, She had been judged on every step of her life. And she blames herself for it, for not taking a stand for herself, for letting herself allow people to question her character, her sanity.