The Murderer

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Photo (c) Ted Strutz

The Murderer

 Words 101

“I’ll kill you!” Sagar lunged at his son-in-law. “You blood sucking leech…”

“Calm down!” Family members intervened. “Meeta committed suicide.”

“Why would she?” An overwrought Sagar spat. “Meeta wanted nothing. I gave her everything, TV, car, even a luxury cruise. Besides she had a lucrative job.”

“Meeta was depressed.”

“Nonsense!” distraught, Reeta interrupted. “She often complained about her in-laws. They were torturing and abusing her. Meeta wanted to leave them.”

“Exactly.” Sagar brushed his cheeks. “They killed her.”

“Meeta begged you to let her to come back home.” Reeta retorted. “But each time, you sent her back. You killed her Papa.”

***

A/N Forgive me I am rather obsessed with this subject. Over here in India, stringent laws are in place against in-laws regarding dowry and bride burning. But my question is if parents were more supportive why would girls (especially qualified educated financially independent working women) commit suicide or even stick around to be murdered or worse? Perhaps it is time parents are booked as well.

Written for the Friday Fictioneers – a story in 100 words or less. Thanks to Rochelle for hosting this challenge and Ted Strutz for the photo prompt. To read the other stories inspired by this prompt click here.

Published by

Dahlia

Email me at mysilverstreaks@gmail.com or tweet me @mysilverstreaks

56 thoughts on “The Murderer”

  8. Bitter truth and when your father kills a daughter once the daughter kills herself the rest of the times and the sad part is you can blame inlaws but if the daughter blames the parents the society ultimately blames “her”….but then at times people out of blood become your strength, bonds outside the family are your inhalers…..lovely yet a heart breaking story…..

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  9. Sad but true.Many parents wash their hands off once they get their daughter married. They have done their duty. Done the kanyadaan. paid the dowery. Now whether she lives or dies is up to her and her in-laws. No sympathy, no support. ( They are probably torturing their own daughter in law).

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    1. Often abuse and demands linger on for days months years before one fine day the girl is found dead. Surely she would have confided to her parents, asked them for help? Only when none is forthcoming do they take the extreme step…

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      1. Girls are often conditioned that compromise, adaptation, adjustment and such words are not only exclusively in their dictionary only but they are also encouraged to show their parents in good light . These false ideas make many of them suffer in silence . Incidentally a famous divorce lawyer in Mumbai attributed the increase in breakups to the mobile – girl has fight complains to mom. Mom backs her and girl keeps grudge, fight escalates and then all hell breaks loose. …..

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      2. How true! Even the mobile phone bit. When she shares every fight ever argument with her mother she ends up fighting her mother’s pending battles!

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  11. What a terrific opening sentence! Straight into the drama. It’s as though you have grabbed the reader’s lapels, eyeballed them, and said “Bl***y well listen. This is important!”
    You’ve constructed the story very well; I love the interjection “Meeta was depressed.”. Not the father, or the daughter speaking; possibly the son-in-law, but equally likely to be the family peacemaker – there’s always one who’s ready to try and take the tension out of confrontation. And immediately, “Nonsense!” from Reeta, like a whip across the face, putting the record straight.
    Really excellent writing, Dahlia.
    BTW I admire the way you’re campaigning on this issue of the oppression of women in marriage. It’s desperately important.
    With very best wishes
    Penny

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    1. Thanks a lot Penny for your detailed analysis – such a treat to read! And thank you for the encouragement to write on stuff that people prefer to brush under the carpet. I do feel sometimes that what’s the point on speaking on something that is hardly going to change but then I just can’t keep mum either. Your words mean a lot to me 🙂

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  12. Gosh! same here , well not as extreme as India but in terms of the woman always being told that she must persevere for her family sake and that she should pray for her husband to change. Then one day the guy kills or maims her, then they are like, she must have said something that angered him. so much victim blaming!

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    1. Yes and the worst part is that things don’t seem to be improving with time and education. Mentalities and attitudes are regressing rather than progressing. I do wonder where we are going wrong….

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  13. Very well written, Dahlia. Like Penny said, you grab us in from the first sentence. Your choice of names is a tad confusing though. Meeta and Reeta? We don’t know who Reeta is but it doesn’t overly matter except that she is Meeta’s defendant. A sad tale over all as it is a reality for too many.

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    1. Thank you Dale for your comment. I was expecting the confusion. Over here siblings usually have rhyming names. And Reeta accuses Papa i.e by inference they were sisters. I kinda hoped it would work out fine since i had run out of words. Ah well..

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    1. Definitely they are ‘free’ to live on their own (if they can find accommodation). Without parental support or more particularly male support life for a single woman is extremely difficult and unsafe. She is looked upon with suspicion and is considered easy game. Unscrupulous people would target her on the pretext of ‘helping’ her likely to take advantage of her. She would be the target of men and then be blamed for any untoward incident that might happen.
      Yet while single women can make an attempt to go it alone (by staying at working women’s hostels which provide some degree of independence, safety and security) the situation is impossible for single mothers (without parental support). These hostels don’t allow children and child care is another major practical issue even if she does have the funds for it.
      Thank you for reading and your interest.

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  16. The poor bride has no rights at all–only to do whatever she is told. I know that this kind of things exists in India. It’s hard for an American girl like me to understand. But she really doesn’t have the option of just leaving. She would not survive that way, either.

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  17. Pingback: Bride Burning – A Case in Point – Stories and more

  21. “Meeta wanted nothing, I gave her everything” speaks how he is totally unrepentant…the false pride has got people blinded
    Things are changing and would change but at the cost of how many more lives I wonder

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