Cornered

Suashi had often wondered how cows felt as they were dragged to the slaughter house, now she didn’t have to wonder anymore because she felt like a cow that was being dragged to its death. She kicked and screamed as they dragged her to the waiting vehicle, but they were too strong for her. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see her mother shaking her head in disgrace. She had disgraced her family, by refusing to marry the man they had chosen for her, and now she was kicking up a fuss in the presence of the whole villagers. The men dumped her unceremoniously in the car and they sat on each side of her. Her things are already being taken to her husband’s house the previous day when she was originally supposed to go there, but when she had refused, they had taken them without her.

Since her dowry had already being paid, her in-laws had every right to demand she be forcibly brought to their house, and her parents were totally behind them. Heaven forbid that the other villagers think they had no control over their unruly daughter. Only, she didn’t think of herself as unruly. She didn’t want to marry, not at sixteen. She thought her father was going to keep his promise and allow her to get an education, but as usual he had reneged on his promise.

She had felt like a trapped animal, and for once in her life she wanted control over her own destiny. She sat fuming in the car as it drove along the dirt road leaving a dusty trail. She felt no remorse for her actions; she wasn’t the first girl in the village to refuse to go to her husband’s house, but she knew she would pay dearly for it. Surely, she had incurred the wrath of her mother-in-law, who thought her son was a prize catch. Thankfully, unlike other new brides she didn’t have to live with her parents-in-law. Her husband already had his own place.

He was waiting outside as they arrived at his house. The two men who had been sent to fetch her prepared for a struggle, but she put up no resistance, and wearily exited the car. She had no where to run to anyway, if she went home her parents would send her right back. Her new husband greeted the men who happened to be his cousins, and thanked them for their trouble. He turned around without saying a word to her and walked into the house.

She shuffled slowly after him, her eyes on the ground. She was even more surprised to find that he had food on the table. She had never heard of any man in the village who cooked, especially one who was newly married. She felt a small sense of shame brought on by years of training by her mother. No good wife should allow her husband to cook; she had been told by her mother year after year. She doubted if her father knew his way around the kitchen. The most he ever did on very rare occasions was to bring firewood from the forest. Her mother-in-law probably made it anyway, she thought timidly as she stood at the corner.
“Suashi, don’t you want to taste my cooking?” he asked smiling slightly

“You made that?” She asked unable to hide her disbelief.

He patted the space next to where he sat and motioned for her to sit down. She kept stealing glances at him, as he talked obviously trying to put her at ease. He was nothing like she expected. He obviously understood her feelings, and was probably just as bound to his parents' wishes as she was to hers.

She had expected all husbands would be like her father, mean and gruff. Nothing as soft spoken and considerate as him had ever crossed her mind. She suddenly felt overwhelmed and started crying.

He pulled her towards him and said “I know you don’t want this marriage, but I promise you that I would try to make you happy, and you won’t regret marrying me”.
When she wouldn’t stop crying, he asked her what he could do to make her happy. She blurted out “I really wanted to go to school, and my father promised to let me finish before I got married and he didn’t keep his promise” They sat quietly for a while. No girl in the village had ever gone back to school after they got married. Most stopped at the age of sixteen.

He rocked her gently against him as she continued to cry. “I’m not your father, so you can stop crying. You can continue to go to school, if that is what you really want”

“Thank you” she said unable to believe her ears

“I keep my promises” he said.

As he covered her hand with his and smiled at her, she thought to herself, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.



To be continued