My Husband and In-Laws are Controlling My Life

I got married two years ago. It was an arranged marriage. I had never been in a relationship before my wedding and believed deeply in a happy married life. I was a person full of hopes and dreams. Before marriage, my husband was very supportive and caring. To be honest, it never felt like an arranged marriage. I thought I was lucky to be married to him.

After our wedding, we stayed at my parents’ house for a week. Then his relatives and parents came and took us to his home. It all felt happy and dreamy. I was on cloud nine. A few days later, his parents asked my husband and me to spend some time outside. They told us to have fun and explore the new city. I got excited, and we went out. After a few hours, I got a call from my parents-they were extremely worried about me. I didn’t understand why, but when I asked, I found out that my in-laws had called my parents, behaved very rudely, demanded dowry, and accused us of being disrespectful to them.

I was heartbroken. When I questioned my husband, he completely sided with his parents. He was never on my side. He suddenly became very different and rude. He said it was normal for a groom’s parents to behave like this and that my parents were to blame. I was very upset, but suddenly, they all changed their behavior toward me. They consoled me, saying it was normal and that I shouldn’t worry.

However, they also told me that my parents were not good and were spoiling my married life. I knew how good my parents were. I felt helpless but stayed quiet, thinking things would get better in the future. A few months later, I got pregnant, and things seemed happy and nice again.

But after my pregnancy, my in-laws started interfering even more. They accused me of not caring about them and not visiting them (which was absolutely not true). We moved to a different city because of my husband’s job, and his two unmarried sisters stayed with us. My husband insisted they live with us since they were studying there, saying it was unnecessary to spend money on a hostel.

I never objected to them staying with us-I was never the type to hate anyone without reason. However, they created a lot of trouble. They constantly updated my in-laws about everything happening in our home. If my husband even entered the kitchen, my in-laws would lecture me. I felt like I had no place in my own house. My mother-in-law was not physically present, but she still controlled everything. When I discussed this with my husband, as usual, he was never on my side.

When I got pregnant, I never received any special treatment. Choosing my own doctor was considered a great favor, and they kept reminding me of everything I was “getting” from them. In reality, I was traumatized. They isolated me from my parents and close friends. I was never allowed to visit them. If my parents came to see me, they were disrespected. Each day became more painful.

One day, my husband hit me and pulled off my thali chain. I was completely broken. He never felt sorry, and my in-laws, who otherwise pretended to be very religious, dismissed it as an accident. In fact, my husband said the fight was my fault, claiming that I was badmouthing him and that he couldn’t tolerate it.

That was when I involved my parents. I told them about the trauma I was going through and how I was being treated. I was nothing more than a slave in my own house. My parents took me with them, and immediately my in-laws and husband shifted the blame onto me. They called me bad, characterless, and unsuitable for a happy family.

They even blamed my parents for supporting me. I was pregnant and didn’t want to end my marriage. I thought maybe things would change after the baby, so I went back to him. But things only got worse. He fought with me every day, calling me and my parents bad. He tried to completely disconnect me from my family, and I felt like I was imprisoned within four walls. I was under constant stress. He made me cook, do all the household work, and stay under his complete control.

For my baby shower, my parents and relatives were not allowed to attend. When they came uninvited, they were humiliated and sent away. Things got worse day by day. I couldn’t bear it anymore and returned to my parents’ house. My in-laws immediately called and demanded that I come back. I told them I needed rest because my health was deteriorating and stayed with my parents.

After childbirth, they started again. They had a problem with the fact that I gave birth to a baby girl. They blamed me and my family for it. They called us unfortunate for having a girl and abandoned both me and my baby. They took all my jewelry and refused to return it.

I lodged a complaint and demanded my belongings back. After many months, with the help of the police, I recovered my jewelry and belongings. I filed for divorce, and now suddenly, they act as if they are so fond of my baby girl, claiming that I separated her from them. I have decided to end this marriage and be with my daughter.

Question: Is my decision right?

Option 1: Yes, you have a bright future.

Option 2: No, you can’t live alone with a child.

Option 3: You have to adjust-marriage is like this.