The sun rose like a round dot of saffron between her eyebrows. Subbalakshmi woke up as the awakening rays of the sun fell on her face. Subbalakshmi – Subbu is a very intelligent girl. Intelligent, no less educated. A girl who thinks of standing on her own two feet and living her life. My father, who was sleeping and encountered Subbu, came into the hall. “Hey Subbu… The boys are coming to see you this evening. The boy’s name is Anirudh. Software employee. Good family” He said that very excitedly. Hearing this, Subbu felt like a bomb exploded in his heart. Subbu actually wanted to get a government job. Hearing his father's words, he was shocked and said, "Dad, I just finished my degree yesterday. I need to get a job. I don't want to get married right now, dad," she said. “That’s right… the boy doesn’t have any bad habits. They have a good family. A settled family. They have property. Only one father. My sister is married. The job is also good. In every way, we have a good relationship. You won’t have any problems there, my dear. I will talk about your job… Agree, my dear,” said my father affectionately. Subbu reluctantly agreed. The wedding ceremony took place. Subbu liked the boy (Anirudh). The boy also liked Subbu. “There is no objection to Subbu’s job,” the boy’s family said. Good luck… the wedding went very well. Subbu was very well received in the in-laws' house. Subbu's aunt is Kanakam. Her nature is that women should take care of the house and husband; she should be quiet without answering her aunt's words. But it doesn't show on the outside. Kanakam is a jackal covered in goatskin. Kanakam's husband also belongs to the same category. A few months after their marriage, Subbu Kanakam, “Aunt… I want to apply for a job,” she said. Hearing this, jealousy welled up within, but without showing it outwardly, “Okay, Mom… but learn a few things before you get a job. After me, you’ll be responsible for this house.” She said these words of encouragement and slowly put Subbu to work on the housework. As Kanakam had expected, Subbu got immersed in household chores. Kanakam stopped working after a few days. Subbu became so engrossed in household chores that he forgot about his job. No matter how many times her husband Anirudh told her that he wanted to work, he would ignore her. Anirudh believed that women should not work, their only job was to take care of their husband and family. Loving his wife, respecting her opinions, and being friends with her—none of these things were in his nature. He would show annoyance towards Subbu. In that house, apart from those who saw Subbu as a machine that would fulfill everyone's needs, no one understood her. There were no people who would even talk to her for a while. Sometimes, Kanakam would say things that would hurt Subbu's self-esteem. Whenever Subbu argued, the old woman would burst into tears in front of Anirudh and say unnecessary things, causing fights between the two. Even though Subbu told his mother about his difficulties two or three times, it was of little use. "When it comes to family, fights are natural. When a baby is born, everything will be sorted out," she would say. Subbu was mentally depressed. She became pregnant a few days later. However, the work at Attar's house did not decrease. Her husband Anirudh did not care at all. Even though all this was painful, she thought only about the unborn child. Subbu had a son. Babu was the only one who had his own companion in that house. Even though Kanakam picked up Babu and played with him for a while, even when Babu cried when Anirudh was not at home, he would not even try to console him. Subbu had to take care of Babu and the household chores. Even after Babu was born, there was no change in Anirudh. One day, while Anirudh was taking a bath, his phone rang repeatedly. Subbu went to get a lift. She stood in shock after seeing the contact on the screen. At that moment, Anirudh came and snatched the phone, "How many times do I have to tell you not to touch my things?" With that, Kasiri left. Anirudh's girlfriend called. Subbu's heart broke into a thousand pieces. She cried bitterly, wondering why God had given her so much suffering. She stayed in that room all day. She kept crying like crazy, her tears flowing non-stop, her heart broken. She was completely devastated by everything that had happened so far. She realized that she couldn't stay even for a minute in a place where she didn't have self-respect. She remembered her dreams before marriage. In that pain, she saw her son's face. She decided not to ruin that child's life. That evening, she made a firm decision. She left the thali tied by Anirudh there, took the son and left the house. “Where is she going… they will bring her father and leave her for what she did,” thought Kanakam and Anirudh. It came as they expected, but… it wasn’t Subbu—it was the divorce notice sent by Subbu. Subbu's parents understood their mistake and stood by her. They treated Babu with great love. Subbu prepared for government jobs and secured the job of a constable. She became an inspiration to many women. There are many women who are struggling like Subbu. Every girl gets married with many hopes and enters the world of marriage. We should not be discouraged when faced with such situations. We should never lose courage and self-confidence. Every girl should stand on her own two feet financially. When a problem arises, she should face it bravely like Subbu and stand as an example. Thank you for reading my story & keep supporting❤ By: Anisa Tabassum sk