Happily ever after – A short story

“Get out of my house”, he shouted, after hitting her hard on the face. She was crying inconsolably, her face wet with tears and fearful sweating, with his signature shining on her face in the form of his fingers’ impression. Her son was standing there too, quiet. Patriarchy had ruled that house for years, and the same instilled in her son too.

She never stopped her son from being one, never stopped him for hitting his wife, though she knew she was wrong in not stopping her son for being a patriarch too. This had been happening for many generations, and maybe would continue for many more to come.

But, that day. That day was different. The animal in her husband was active to an extent that verbal abuses and physical torture was continuing from the last one hour. Till……

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She stood near the window, crying inconsolably. Her thoughts went haywire. She started thinking about the fairy tales that she grew up listening to, though she was too old for the fairy tales now. Everything seemed to be delusional.

While she was lost in thinking about the prince charming she always dreamt of, who would rescue her, a hand emerged from behind, and she heard a whisper in her ear, “I am here now. Meet me outside in 10 minutes. Trust me..”!! She couldn’t think of anything and did as directed. Finally they ran away and lived happily ever after.

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The daughter-in-law had shattered years of patriarchal abuse, and freed herself and her mother-in-law. The prince charming came to her rescue, only in a different form though. Happily ever after was not a mere phrase for them. They lived it, finally!!

**** The end ****

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