“But he is so doting to our children, Amma,” Lakshmi said defending her alcoholic husband.
“Then, why wasn’t he around when all three of you were down with fever last month?” Shreya asked.
“It’s because of that wretched other woman in his life. Otherwise, he really loves our children. Did you know, a few years ago when my toddler daughter fell into the small sump and hurt herself, he cried so much. Luckily, there was no water in the sump and hearing the thudding sound; I had reached her within seconds. He gave me a solid thrashing that day for being negligent.”
“Where was your husband that day?” a shocked Shreya managed to ask.
“Oh, he was relaxing at home. In fact, my daughter was in his care that day. Unfortunately, both of us didn’t see her crawling out.” Lakshmi replied casually.
Shreya couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Lakshmi was so naïve that she failed to recognise that she was the victim of abuse from her husband that day. In her mind, Shreya seemed to think she deserved it.
‘That’s why education is so important’, thought Shreya feeling grateful for her degrees as well as her well-paying job.
Then the memory of that terrible night from the distant past, when she herself was physically assaulted by her inebriated husband over a petty squabble one time, came floating in her mind.
“OMG, I too have normalised the incident,” Shreya realised with a start.
The above incident comes as no shock when we consider the following global statistics:
This story is from the December 2021 edition of Woman's Era.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2021 edition of Woman's Era.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Choose Happiness
Embracing a positive mindset.
Cultivating Intellectual Hunger
The importance of curiosity in achieving personal fulfilment
The Maze of Modern Nutrition
Incorporating traditional practices in modern eating
Sexual Frequency
Understanding the optimal frequency of sexual activity.
Diminishing Role of Higher Education in India
Fetching knowledge from different sources.
Aradhaga Stories Woven In A thread
Empowering the underprevileged.
40 Are The New Twenties
Women who redefined success later in life.
Instilling Core Values
Raising empathetic and courageous children in the digital age.
Women's Singlehood
Intersectional Un-marriageability in West Bengal.
CULTURAL IMITATION
Why do we ape the west?