Page 37 - Chupi-Todo
P. 37
When I brought her inside my room and had a close look, I saw that her cheeks and
lips were abnormally bruised and red. I immediately examined her whole body. I
was shivering with fear and anger when I noticed that all my daughter’s clothes
were out of the closet. I asked her what happened. She said that she was looking
for her nighty. When I asked her why, she said because the uncle had asked her to
wear a nighty.
Nervously, I picked up the phone and called my husband. He shocked me again by
dismissing me. He strictly warned me this time asking me to stop building these
stories and to perform my duties as a good bahu of the family.
I knew then that this was my battle and I had to ight it alone. After that, I protected
my daughter every second. But at the same time, I had to cook and take care of
this man out of fear of my husband. I wanted to throw him out of my house as the
struggle was taking its toll on me. The man was not ready to give up but I snatched
my daughter every time he came close to her.
When my husband took them for outings, that man used to hold my daughter’s
hand so tightly that it made her scream, but my husband kept his eyes closed. His
explanation was that being an elder, he is trying to discipline her. So, I used to
rescue my daughter from his clutches. My husband showed full resentment for my
conduct and was upset with me. A lot of pressure was building for me. The whole
situation became highly stressful, both physically and emotionally.
But nothing could stop me from protecting my daughter. The man was not ready to
give up and tried till the last day of his stay. Those 15 days were highly traumatic
and still haunt me. I always feel a deep hurt inside me as my husband didn’t show
his spine at that time to protect his child. He still socialises with that person and
makes sure to meet him whenever he is in India.
My daughter is 13 now, beautiful and free spirited, fully ignorant of what happened.
When I look at her now, I feel very proud and pat my back saying to myself, “You
did a great job, brave girl!”
-Bhavna
CHUPPI TODO! | 35
lips were abnormally bruised and red. I immediately examined her whole body. I
was shivering with fear and anger when I noticed that all my daughter’s clothes
were out of the closet. I asked her what happened. She said that she was looking
for her nighty. When I asked her why, she said because the uncle had asked her to
wear a nighty.
Nervously, I picked up the phone and called my husband. He shocked me again by
dismissing me. He strictly warned me this time asking me to stop building these
stories and to perform my duties as a good bahu of the family.
I knew then that this was my battle and I had to ight it alone. After that, I protected
my daughter every second. But at the same time, I had to cook and take care of
this man out of fear of my husband. I wanted to throw him out of my house as the
struggle was taking its toll on me. The man was not ready to give up but I snatched
my daughter every time he came close to her.
When my husband took them for outings, that man used to hold my daughter’s
hand so tightly that it made her scream, but my husband kept his eyes closed. His
explanation was that being an elder, he is trying to discipline her. So, I used to
rescue my daughter from his clutches. My husband showed full resentment for my
conduct and was upset with me. A lot of pressure was building for me. The whole
situation became highly stressful, both physically and emotionally.
But nothing could stop me from protecting my daughter. The man was not ready to
give up and tried till the last day of his stay. Those 15 days were highly traumatic
and still haunt me. I always feel a deep hurt inside me as my husband didn’t show
his spine at that time to protect his child. He still socialises with that person and
makes sure to meet him whenever he is in India.
My daughter is 13 now, beautiful and free spirited, fully ignorant of what happened.
When I look at her now, I feel very proud and pat my back saying to myself, “You
did a great job, brave girl!”
-Bhavna
CHUPPI TODO! | 35
