Rama’s life will serve as a good tear-jerker script for a movie or a mega serial. It is really unbelievable that such things can happen even today, that too in the life of a present generation woman. My friend Rama is a postgraduate and a gold medalist. She landed a job in a multinational firm. She met a guy by name Ram and both fell in love within a few days of introduction. Rama’s parents objected to her love as Ram belonged to a different caste. But Rama didn’t retreat, she married Ram despite opposition at home and the couple set up their own establishment after marriage. At that time, Rama wouldn’t have even dreamt that it was only the beginning of a horror story. Ram lost his job and became a permanent source of tension and anxiety to Rama. He would come to Rama’s office and take away her salary on the day of payment itself. He started giving her trouble mentally, sexually, physically and financially too. Amid all these unsavory happenings the couple begot two children. If those children had been born even into a poor family, they would have been happy. But having born to a mother who was devoid of all mental strength and to a father who was a pervert, they grew under constant fear and sorrow.

Rama continued to put up with Ram, giving up her self-respect, with no support forthcoming from her parents. Ten years passed by. But an incident broke Rama’s frozen feelings and made her become alive to the happenings. One day, Ram brought a girl to the house and ordered Rama to prepare food for her, telling that the girl would stay in their house thereafter. When Ram’s father who had come to stay with his son for a few days advised Rama to ‘adjust’ with his son Rama was rudely shocked. Rama lost her control and patience and took an extreme step. Attempting suicide, she consumed an overdose of sleeping pills. My husband and I rushed her to a hospital when she was in a state of unconsciousness. By God’s grace, she was saved. She realized her mistake when we advised that she should live for the sake of her children. When we were talking, her husband entered the room. He regretted and apologized again and again for his behavior. Rama promised us that she would never repeat the mistake of attempting suicide. And, she became courageous enough to think on practical lines. She told us that she would give a last chance to Ram to reform but if he let her down again, she would leave him for good with children and bring them up on her own.