A Night of Pride and Blindness
\nI never thought she would actually leave.
\nHer parents\u2019 home was five hundred kilometers away, and in Davao, she had no one but me. I told myself she wouldn\u2019t dare go anywhere\u2014she didn\u2019t even have access to our savings.
\nSo I went to bed that night feeling proud, resting my head on a tall pillow beside my mother.<\/p>\n
My mother, Sharda Devi, had always seen herself as the ultimate sacrifice for our family. She expected my wife to be quiet, obedient, and grateful.
\nAnd I\u2014like the dutiful son I believed myself to be\u2014agreed.
\n\u201cA wife should just endure a little for the sake of family,\u201d I often told myself. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with that?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Beginning of Tension
\nMy wife, Anita, was from another city. We met during our college years in Davao.
\nWhen we first talked about marriage, my mother was furious.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer family lives too far away,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019ll be a burden to visit all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anita cried that day but stayed firm.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d she told me. \u201cI\u2019ll be a good daughter-in-law. I\u2019ll take care of your family, even if it means I can only visit mine once a year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eventually, after many pleas, my mother agreed. But she never forgot that Anita wasn\u2019t from our town. Every time I wanted to take my wife and our son to visit her parents, my mother would invent an excuse to stop us.<\/p>\n
When the Baby Came
\nThings changed after our first child was born.
\nSuddenly, every little decision turned into a disagreement.<\/p>\n
I kept siding with my mother. \u201cShe only wants the best for her grandson,\u201d I said. \u201cWhy can\u2019t Anita just follow her advice?\u201d<\/p>\n
But Anita refused to be silent. They argued about everything\u2014from what milk to feed the baby to how often he should sleep.
\nMy mother would scream, slam dishes, and then fall \u201cill\u201d for days.<\/p>\n
The last straw came during a family visit. Our baby caught a high fever. My mother pointed her finger at Anita.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t even take care of my grandson properly? How could you let this happen?\u201d<\/p>\n
I agreed with my mother that day. Anita looked at me, her eyes full of pain.<\/p>\n
The Argument That Broke Everything
\nThat night, Anita didn\u2019t sleep. She stayed up nursing our sick child.
\nExhausted, I went upstairs to sleep beside my parents.<\/p>\n
By morning, a few relatives had arrived to visit. My mother handed Anita a thousand rupees.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo to the market,\u201d she ordered. \u201cBuy food and cook for our guests.\u201d<\/p>\n
I saw the fatigue on Anita\u2019s face. I opened my mouth to speak, but my mother snapped at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you go instead, people will laugh at you! She\u2019s the daughter-in-law; cooking is her job!\u201d<\/p>\n
Anita, still lying on the bed, whispered hoarsely:<\/p>\n
\u201cI was awake all night taking care of your grandson. These guests are yours, not mine. I\u2019m your daughter-in-law, not your servant.\u201d<\/p>\n
My mother\u2019s eyes widened. The room went silent.
\nI felt everyone\u2019s eyes on me\u2014embarrassment burning my face.<\/p>\n
Furious, I grabbed Anita\u2019s arm and dragged her to the storeroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis time, I have to be strict,\u201d I said coldly. \u201cYou\u2019ll learn to respect your elders.\u201d<\/p>\n
No mattress. No blanket. Just a dark, empty room.<\/p>\n
The Morning After
\nWhen I opened the storeroom door the next morning, Anita was gone.<\/p>\n
Panic hit me. I ran to tell my mother. She turned pale and called everyone to search.
\nA neighbor spoke up:<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw her last night. She was crying, dragging her suitcase down the street. I gave her some money for a taxi. She said she was going home\u2014she couldn\u2019t take the way you and your mother treated her anymore. She plans to file for divorce.\u201d<\/p>\n
My phone slipped from my hand.<\/p>\n
When Anita finally answered my call, her voice was steady and cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m at my parents\u2019 house. In a few days, I\u2019ll file for divorce. Our son will stay with me, of course. And the property\u2014half of it is mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart pounded. I told my mother, hoping she\u2019d help fix it. But she only scoffed.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s bluffing. She won\u2019t dare.\u201d<\/p>\n
But deep down, I knew\u2014this time, Anita wasn\u2019t bluffing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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