WOMANWISE | CHEATING IS NO LONGER A SCANDAL — IT'S A DEAL BREAKER

For modern Indian women, betrayal isn't a scandal to survive. Cheating isn't shocking anymore - it's simply unacceptable

- NAMRATA KOHLI

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When news broke about Smriti Mandhana ending her relationship with composer Palash Muchhal over alleged cheating, the Internet reacted with unusual unanimity: "Good for her.

There was no shaming, no victim-blaming, no pressure to "adjust," no romanticising of second chances. Just a simple cultural verdict — women today are unwilling to negotiate with betrayal. That reaction tells us something bigger than a celebrity breakup. It marks a shift in the dating landscape for Indian women.

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Cheating, once dismissed as “boys will be boys,” a “mistake,” or a “phase,” has now become a hard stop — a red line that many young women won't cross, even if the relationship promised stability, glamour or social approval.

What's changed? Everything — expectations, boundaries, access, awareness. Women today are rewriting the rulebook: choosing emotional safety over social image, clarity over confusion, and dignity over drama.