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Manju is from India and her father forced her to marry a physically repulsive man.
For a girl from an Indian family, finding a husband is paramount. A girl is an extra mouth to feed, so her father needs to downsize his family. Typically, he's also hoping to find new connections and opportunities via the bridegroom's parents. Manju used to feel like a commodity at her parents' disposal.
When she came of age, she was looking forward to getting married. She spent nights imagining her future husband. He was always physically attractive in her mind. Has anyone ever dreamt of an ugly husband, though?
Manju's family was poor. Her father had to work multiple odd jobs. He would often bring up the subject of her marriage, casually at first. He hinted pointedly that she shouldn't turn up her nose at profitable marriage opportunities.
Then one day, Dad came home full of visible joy and excitement. He'd found a new job and his boss was from the USA: a charismatic man, very smart and well-educated as well as quite wealthy. Now that Manju's father was working for him, the family's life would change. Manju tensed up immediately. There was something Dad wasn't saying.
She was right. His new employer had a son of her age, named Rudy. After Rudy saw Manju's photos on her father's smartphone, the young man was besotted with her. So it was time to toss her dreams away and accept what her father had in store for her. At least Rudy's family was rich: that was a relief. And Manju didn't rule out the possibility of actually liking him! He was from America, after all. This alone made him exceptional in her eyes. Incidentally, Dad didn't mention her future husband's appearance at all. She figured this Rudy must be a regular-looking guy. Surely she'd get used to him, right?
They were introduced to each other a few days later. Manju picked her prettiest sari and braided her hair. She really wanted her rich suitor to like her. When the guests arrived outside, her father ordered her to go to another room. She could hear her Mom welcoming them into the house. Then she heard a plate breaking and her Dad whispering angrily. Then there was silence that felt ominous.
After a few minutes, they called for Manju. She was all eyes, but her betrothed was standing with his back to her. When his father told him to turn around… oh no!!! He was much uglier than she could have imagined. She wanted to say something, but she choked on her own words. There was a minute of awkward silence, which let her have a closer look at him. He was bald, with huge bulging eyes, and an extremely short head. You know how some people have an oblong face shape? Well, his face shape was the exact opposite: it looked flattened and disturbingly disproportionate. All in all, his facial features were truly horrifying. There was no way Manju would get used to this. His bulging eyes were darting all over her body with devious glee. It was obvious he liked what he saw. His smile was repulsive, almost as wide as his face. But when he opened his mouth, it looked so shockingly awful that his closed mouth seemed perfect in comparison.
Manju wanted to scream in despair. But she knew her fate had been sealed. She had to do it for her family.
After the wedding, Manju's Dad told her how much it had cost: 20,000 dollars. An astronomical amount of money! Sure, the celebration was magnificent: Manju looked like a fairytale beauty, with the beast by her side. Except unlike the fairytale, her husband's personality was as nasty as his appearance. They've been married for six months now. Manju has been doing her best to adjust to her new life. She tried to look on the bright side, but it's getting harder every time. Her husband's temper is so bad she's thinking about escaping the house. Ideally, she's hoping to leave India. She'd have to hop a freight train as she cannot cross the border legally. Her husband doesn't allow her to get a passport. He probably suspects she'll elope as soon as she saves up a little money.
Manju wishes parents stopped adhering to inhumane traditions and making their daughters marry men who are repulsive to them. Her Mom tells her she should accept her fate. Her Dad isn't the nicest person to deal with either, but Mom's managed somehow. Manju feels pathetic. Leave a comment if you have an idea what she should do! Who knows, someone might come up with an amazing escape plan that she can use.
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