My mother-in-law scoffed. “Nonsense! She came in suddenly, I only asked her to rest. Asha is exaggerating.”Pregnancy productsKitchen remodeling
I laughed coldly. “Rest? In front of a sink full of dishes? You’ve insulted her for years, but today you crossed the limit. This house is in my name, bought with my hard work and my mother’s loan. If you think you own it, wake up.”
Color drained from her face.
“How dare you? You live here because this family accepted you. Without us, who would you be?”Pregnancy productsFamily vacation packages
I stepped closer. “Wrong. I don’t need to be adopted. I built this life myself. And today, I won’t allow you to treat my mother like a servant.”
I opened the door wide. “Leave. Both of you.”
Mrs. Malhotra rose awkwardly. “Perhaps… I should go. I didn’t expect this.” She hurried out, murmuring apologies.Pregnancy products
My mother-in-law glared, trembling with rage. “You’ll regret this.” But she too left, her proud back bent under humiliation.
I felt no triumph, only the calm of finally standing tall.
Moments later Vikram entered, sweaty from work. He looked at me, then at his mother outside. “What did you do? You threw them out?”Pregnancy products
I steadied my voice. “Your mother ordered mine to wash dishes and eat with the maid. Is that acceptable to you?”
He raised his voice. “She’s my mother. You had no right.”
“And what is my mother to you?” I shot back. “She sacrificed everything for me. If someone did this to your mother, would you be silent?”Pregnancy products
He faltered but said nothing.
Then Riya, his younger sister, stormed in. “What drama is this? Guests humiliated, our family name ruined!”
I faced her calmly. “Your mother insulted mine. Do you think that’s right?”Pregnancy productsFamily vacation packages
She sneered. “Money has made you arrogant.”
I met her eyes. “If your mother was forced into a kitchen like mine, would you laugh too?”Kitchen remodelingPregnancy products
For once, she was speechless.
That night, while Nirmala called every relative sobbing about her “cruel” daughter-in-law, I sat beside my own mother in the kitchen. She quietly sorted vegetables, her shoulders shaking.
I whispered, “Mom, let’s go back to the village tomorrow. I can’t let you suffer here another day.”Pregnancy products
Her eyes welled. “Forever?”
I nodded. “Yes. It’s time.”
At dawn we packed a few bags. With Kabir in my arms, I left behind the house, the marriage, the silence.
On the journey home, I realized I couldn’t carry this burden unfinished. I returned to the city briefly, went to the bank, and cleared the last of the loan with money I had scraped together from years of extra tuitions. Then I transferred the property to my mother’s name.
She had given everything for me; now the house was truly hers.
Back home, I packed my husband’s and mother-in-law’s belongings into suitcases, left them in the courtyard, and changed the locks. I sent Vikram one final message:
“If you have any self-respect, take your things. Your mother is gone, and so am I.”
I didn’t wait for his reply. Silence had been his answer all along.
Months later I heard whispers of their downfall.
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My mother-in-law scoffed. “Nonsense! She came in suddenly, I only asked her to rest. Asha is exaggerating.”Pregnancy productsKitchen remodeling
I laughed coldly. “Rest? In front of a sink full of dishes? You’ve insulted her for years, but today you crossed the limit. This house is in my name, bought with my hard work and my mother’s loan. If you think you own it, wake up.”
Color drained from her face.
“How dare you? You live here because this family accepted you. Without us, who would you be?”Pregnancy productsFamily vacation packages
I stepped closer. “Wrong. I don’t need to be adopted. I built this life myself. And today, I won’t allow you to treat my mother like a servant.”
I opened the door wide. “Leave. Both of you.”
Mrs. Malhotra rose awkwardly. “Perhaps… I should go. I didn’t expect this.” She hurried out, murmuring apologies.Pregnancy products
My mother-in-law glared, trembling with rage. “You’ll regret this.” But she too left, her proud back bent under humiliation.
I felt no triumph, only the calm of finally standing tall.
Moments later Vikram entered, sweaty from work. He looked at me, then at his mother outside. “What did you do? You threw them out?”Pregnancy products
I steadied my voice. “Your mother ordered mine to wash dishes and eat with the maid. Is that acceptable to you?”
He raised his voice. “She’s my mother. You had no right.”
“And what is my mother to you?” I shot back. “She sacrificed everything for me. If someone did this to your mother, would you be silent?”Pregnancy products
He faltered but said nothing.
Then Riya, his younger sister, stormed in. “What drama is this? Guests humiliated, our family name ruined!”
I faced her calmly. “Your mother insulted mine. Do you think that’s right?”Pregnancy productsFamily vacation packages
She sneered. “Money has made you arrogant.”
I met her eyes. “If your mother was forced into a kitchen like mine, would you laugh too?”Kitchen remodelingPregnancy products
For once, she was speechless.
That night, while Nirmala called every relative sobbing about her “cruel” daughter-in-law, I sat beside my own mother in the kitchen. She quietly sorted vegetables, her shoulders shaking.
I whispered, “Mom, let’s go back to the village tomorrow. I can’t let you suffer here another day.”Pregnancy products
Her eyes welled. “Forever?”
I nodded. “Yes. It’s time.”
At dawn we packed a few bags. With Kabir in my arms, I left behind the house, the marriage, the silence.
On the journey home, I realized I couldn’t carry this burden unfinished. I returned to the city briefly, went to the bank, and cleared the last of the loan with money I had scraped together from years of extra tuitions. Then I transferred the property to my mother’s name.
She had given everything for me; now the house was truly hers.
Back home, I packed my husband’s and mother-in-law’s belongings into suitcases, left them in the courtyard, and changed the locks. I sent Vikram one final message:
“If you have any self-respect, take your things. Your mother is gone, and so am I.”
I didn’t wait for his reply. Silence had been his answer all along.
Months later I heard whispers of their downfall.
see next page
