POV: Ashwin
As you know, my parents met during their college days. My dad was in the final year of his M.Tech program, while my mom had just started her B.Tech. Back then, my dad was known to be a joyful and charismatic person. My mom fell in love with him during their NCC training sessions, where he was their trainer. Over time, their friendship blossomed into something deeper.
It was during my dad’s M.Tech farewell that my mom decided to confess her feelings to him. To her surprise, my dad didn’t say anything at that moment, leaving her to believe that her love had been rejected. Heartbroken, she returned home during the semester break, resigned to the fact that her feelings might not be reciprocated.
But fate had other plans. To her astonishment, my dad arrived at her house a few days later, accompanied by his entire family. He hadn’t rejected her love—he had come to propose marriage. Since they both belonged to the same caste, my grandfather didn’t raise many objections, and everything felt like a fairytale in the making.
The first few years were blissful. When my mom was in her final year of college, my dad borrowed money from my grandfather to start a business. It was the early ’90s, and the IT industry was just beginning to emerge. My dad was certain it was the future. After graduation, some of my mom’s classmates even joined the company. To secure a government project, my dad paid substantial bribes to MLAs and officials, confident it would pay off. Everyone, including my parents, had high hopes for a bright future.
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But dreams can shatter in an instant. The ruling party changed, and the project my dad had pinned all his hopes on was awarded to someone else. With no project and mounting debts, my dad lost everything. Creditors and employees began knocking on our door for compensation, and my dad somehow managed to pay them back. The pressure was immense, and the situation was dire.
At that point, one of my mom’s friends helped her get a job at his company. Initially, my dad had no objections to her working, understanding the financial strain they were under. However, my grandmother was not as understanding. Unlike my open-minded grandfather, she clung to outdated beliefs. In her eyes, my mom was already a questionable woman because she had become pregnant with me before marriage. The fact that she was now stepping out of the house to work only added fuel to the fire.
My uncle Suresh seized the opportunity to create trouble. He began spreading rumors, accusing my mom of having an affair with the friend who had helped her get the job. My dad initially defended her, but over time, insecurity and a sense of inferiority consumed him. His frustration turned into anger, and he began taking it out on my mom. He became violent, often lashing out at her in fits of rage.
My mom, unaware of the conspiracy against her, believed my dad’s behavior stemmed from heartbreak over losing his dreams. Because she loved him deeply, she endured the abuse in silence. This continued for an entire year.
The breaking point came one afternoon when my mom was having lunch with her colleagues at a restaurant near her office. My dad happened to see her there, sitting at a different table with the friend who had helped her. Blinded by jealousy and rage, he created a scene and physically attacked the man.
That incident was the last straw for my mom. In that moment, whatever love she had left for him was extinguished.