I Won’t Change You for the World

Keisha, a beautiful and bubbly girl, was left shattered at the age of 22. She had great dreams and aspirations like any other girl at that age would have. She wanted to be a singer.

Her world came crumbling down, when her parents got her married off thinking her to be a liability. The groom, Ankush, was from New York. She should thank her lucky stars, they said. That contagious smile had now dwindled to a trickle.

Her supreme charm was enveloped in her soul. Her ever forgiving attitude was now shooting arrows back at her. She moved to New York being the trailing spouse. From day one itself, her so called better half started ridiculing her. Yet she would do all the household chores and finish off with the cooking before Ankush arrived from work, with an intention to spend some quality time with him. And each day he would just eat and go to sleep. Sometimes he would just dine out without letting her even know.

Her mother in law too started condemning and putting her down for each and everything under the sun. Keisha recalled what her parents told her. A woman needs to accept her husband and his family just the way they are. Hence, she hid her tears that touched the rim of her eyes. She found herself pilloried by her own family members.

Things were now coming to the boil when her mother in law wished to have a grandchild. She tried to put up with every nuisance they created for her. This time, she politely put forth her wishes at the dinner table. She told Ankush and his mum that she wants to wait a little more before planning to have a baby. She carried on to say that she wanted to be a singer and … That’s when Ankush stood up, walked up to her and just smacked her. It happened in a fraction of a second. She was yet to figure out what and why this happened.

She cried the entire night. In the morning, she called up her parents trying to share her grief but she was shocked when they told her that this is now her problem and her husband has his right over her.

In a foreign land, she lay helpless. The physical abuse continued and it was now a part of her life. She would be beaten for less salt in the food, not cleaning the house properly, for crying too much or even if they had a bad day, all the anger would be vented out on her.

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One day, through social media, she contacted her best friend, Ria, who was holidaying in New York. Ria broke down when she heard what state Keisha was in and was determined to rescue her from that mess.

With Ria’s help, one day when Ankush left for the office, Keisha packed her bags, tricked her mother in law and sneaked out of the so-called house she was in. She could breathe in a new life under the blue sky already.

They got back to India. Keisha filed for a divorce without her parents’ consent. Happiness is all that she wanted.

With a lot of court visits, in a few months time, she was set free from the shackles of bondage.

She looked into the mirror and winningly said to herself, “I won’t change you for the world, I will change the world for you.”

Even cubs are born blind and helpless!

She now runs an NGO for exploited women with hope and will to change the world. She also sings to them and lightens their hearts. Enamored by her melodious voice, they call her a Nightingale.

First published here.

Image is a still from the movie Thappad

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