MYSTERY OF BIRTHMARKS
was replaced by ill-treatment
, unrealistic adjustments,
helplessness, hurt, anger,
confusion, emotional
disconnection and want of
complete freedom, just
similar to what her daughter
was feeling today. , She had to
learn the art of being a pleaser
to survive in a joint family
setup wherein, she had to
adjust not only with her
husband's need for unnatural
sex, [her husband was a sadist
- a sadist is person who derives
pleasure, especially sexual
gratication, from inicting
pain or humiliation on others]
but also with a very
dominating mother-in-law,
this had deep impact her as
well as the unborn babies
psyche. She had to keep a
very delicate balance
wherein she needed to feel
that she had done a great role
of being a daughter-in-law, a
mother to her kids and a good
wife to husband. She felt that
she did not have a choice, but
to succumb to physical,
emotional mental torture to
maintain the harmony for her
house. She wanted her
daughter to display empathy,
understanding and love , she
also wanted Miss X to
understand and forgive her.
Mr's Y also had a silent
expectation through out
pregnancy, that the birth of
miss X was going transform
her bad destiny and marriage
into a meaningful and
peaceful life.
Marital sexual abuse is
common in India and our
laws have no such protection
for females. It is assumed that
If the couple has a child then
they are happy. The ugliness of
martial discord is
camouaged by the
expectations of adjustment. It
is considered safe to stay in
such a marriage than take any
action due to the fear of dirty
linen being washed in the
public causing public scrutiny
and humiliation created by
tarnished self-image in public.
Lets understand what were
the birthmarks connected
with. Each mark on miss X's
body had a different story
and tonality.
The birth mark around the
corner of the left eye was
connected the emotional
need of Mrs Y for love and
affection from her husband.
Her needed to be supported
within a joint family by her
31
MAY 2017
husband, this made her peep
through the corner of her eyes
to see if her husband was
around to support her. Since
he was never around and need
to be embraced left
unfullled and this left a dark
mark on her daughters face,
at the corner of her left eye.
Mothers need had translated
and got transferred to her
unborn baby as this need had
increased in pregnancy.
Miss X had a birth mark on
her right arm as if there were
nger marks. Like the marks
which are left behind when
one holds the persons arm.
On probing, as to who had
held Mrs. Y ar m during
pregnancy , and what was a
traumatic event that had lead
to such deep birth mark on
her daughters arms brought
up surpassed memory. Along
with nerves racking sobs and
screams she narrated the
incident where of how she
was feeling pregnancy pangs
to eat compulsively a food
delicacy called pav bhaji [ a
food delicacy of west of
India] .She entered the
kitchen to cook and her
mother-in-law caught her by
her arm and threw her physi-