Prestige of Dowry

“NO! PLEASE… I want to stay with my husband… Oh… Please don’t do this to me for the sake of my kids… They won’t be able to stay without their father … PLEASE stop…” She was screaming out loud, begging helplessly with a baby girl of about 6 months and a three years old boy behind her. Both the kids were watching everything with an astonishment in their eyes not knowing what was happening and why their mother was weeping. A middle aged lady was dragging that poor soul out from her room through the TV lounge towards the main door of the house. Everyone else including her husband was standing silently, unresisting and with frowned face.

The fault of the girl was just that she and her parents were unable to fulfil the demand of bringing a car for the boy (her husband) in “Jahez” (dowry). The parents of the girl gave her all other things the boy’s family asked for, but due to shortage of money girl’s father promised to give the car in coming years. It had been 5 years since the girl and her family was suffering from this nuisance. The family of the boy was threatening them that the boy would otherwise divorce the girl. The girl had been sent to her parents’ house so many times tortured, injured and vitiated. Her father couldn’t do anything fearing from the societal taboos. Her mother being a woman herself could only cry over her daughter’s pitiable condition.

The story told above and many such incidents taking place in our society in which women are being bullied, humiliated, oppressed, abused and harassed are very common. Why do all this happen? Why do people play with the emotions and feelings of others? Why a woman has to sacrifice herself? Why always a girl’s family has to suffer? Why our society is so harsh, intemperate, rigorous and brutal towards women?

I really don't understand that why do people (esp. in Asian countries) think females as worthless beings. Mostly girls after their marriages are being abused and bullied by their husbands. Females are observed spoiling and creating chaos in the lives of other females. Researches have shown that the number of mothers-in-law are considerably higher than any other in-laws relationship. Mothers are regarded as blessings of God. But when it comes to a mother-in-law, this relation sometimes gives a chilled feeling in a girl's body. A girl is loved by her own mother throughout her life, this love makes her feel that other woman will give the same respect and endearment to her but that doesn't happen. Although, this is a fact that a mother or a woman knows how much painful and agonizing is the process of giving birth to a child. Not only the time of delivering a baby but the whole pregnancy period is way too difficult. A woman's body undergoes many hormonal changes, physical changes, pains, restlessness, mood swings, nausea, sleeplessness and much more. Carrying a baby inside the womb for 9 months is always being an unsensational and arduous job, but a woman accomplishes it. Being aware of all these facts, a woman still can't see another woman happy. Yes! I am telling you a reality, a bitter reality of our society. I don't deny the fact that there are females who possess kind hearts, of course there are but their ratio is very low.

The scenario is not the same everywhere; I mean there are not just the mothers-in-law who are defamed because of their behaviours, some families claim that their daughters-in-law have negative behaviours towards their husbands' families.

Conclusively speaking, things must not be like the way they are. There must be love, care, affection, positivity among relationships. We should be kind towards humanity. Kindness, love and positive deeds can make this world a happy place to live in. Domestic violence, suicides, misunderstandings and women abuse can be stopped through the ways mentioned above. A groom's family should understand the bride's family normal people too and vice versa. Accepting someone or someone's family only with positivity is not enough, accepting others with their positivity and negativity is a big step forward.