look news india
In Indian society, marriage is considered an unbreakable sacred bond of seven lives, where both the parties take an oath to support each other throughout their life. But these days, such cases are continuously coming to light from rural and semi-urban areas of Western Uttar Pradesh and Central India where marriages done under family pressure are falling apart within a few days. One such sensational and shocking case has come to light, where the color of the wedding mehendi had not yet left the bride’s hands when just fourteen days later the newlywed left her in-laws’ house and went straight to her parents’ home and made an open announcement of living with her old lover. Due to this unexpected step of the bride, while the ground slipped from under the feet of the in-laws, the parents too were deeply shocked and in fear of social embarrassment.
According to information received from family members, their marriage was solemnized with great pomp about a fortnight ago with the consent of both the families and as per social customs. The groom was working in a reputed private institute and both the parties had spent lakhs of rupees on the wedding ceremony. On reaching her in-laws’ house, the bride was ushered in with musical instruments and traditional rituals.
The in-laws say that in the initial days the bride’s behavior seemed normal, but she was busy on the phone most of the time and kept distance from her husband. Whenever family members tried to talk to her, she would make the excuse of headache or ill health. After 10-12 days of marriage, when the date of the first vidai (ritual of going to the maternal home) came, the girl returned to her maternal home.
Just two days after reaching her parents’ home, the matter took an explosive turn when the girl flatly refused to go back to her in-laws’ house. When her parents and elders asked her to prepare to return to her in-laws’ house, the girl bluntly said that she loved her college boyfriend very much and this marriage was arranged against her wishes only due to family pressure.
He made it clear to his family:
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She will not spend even a day with her husband now.
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Her lover is her everything and she will live a legal marriage with him.
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If she is forcibly sent to her in-laws house or is pressurized, she will take any suicidal step, for which the entire family will be held responsible.
The family members got scared due to this stubborn attitude of the daughter and after getting the information, the in-laws reached the parents’ house and reached the local police station regarding the matter. The Panchayat went on for several hours in the police station courtyard in the presence of dozens of relatives from both sides.
Police officers and women counselors made every possible effort to make the girl understand by making both the parties sit face to face. The husband also tried a lot to save the relationship, but the bride remained adamant on her insistence. He gave a written statement to the policemen that he was an adult and had the legal right to take his own decisions about his life. When the police asked whether she faced any ill-treatment or dowry demands at her in-laws, she clearly said that the behavior of her in-laws was very good, but her soul and heart were attached only to her lover.
Due to the girl being an adult and her clear refusal, the police administration also gave up on using legal force. Eventually, through the mediation of elite people from both sides and the police, a compromise was reached:
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Return of goods and stridhan: All dowry, clothes and gifts given at the wedding will be returned by the maternal side to the in-laws’ side, while all the gold and silver jewelery given by the in-laws will be returned.
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Mutual Divorce: Both parties signed a legal filing for divorce by mutual consent (Section 13B) to avoid any kind of police action or litigation in the future.
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It was decided to formally end the marriage without any dispute, after which the girl was free to go with her lover.
This incident is a strong lesson for those families who forcibly impose marriage decisions in the name of social prestige without knowing the wishes and likes and dislikes of the children. Experts believe that before marriage, the youth should talk clearly about their past and priorities, so that after getting into a serious relationship like marriage, both the families do not have to face such public embarrassment, mental anguish and financial ruin.