My name is Ananya, 28 years old, and I work as an accountant for an import-export company in Mumbai. After years of hard work, I’ve earned a salary of ₹35,000 per month—not much compared to many, but for me, it’s a testament to my education and hard work. I thought that when I got married, my husband would be my support, and his family would be the place where I would find solace. But life isn’t like a dream.

My husband, Raj, may be frail, but he’s a frail man. Since marriage, I’ve always tried to save money to support my family. However, my mother-in-law, Mrs. Kamala Devi, has a completely different perspective. She loves her youngest son—my brother-in-law—so much that everything in the house revolves around him.

One evening, after dinner, she called Raj and me over to talk:

—Ananya, how much is your salary this month?

I answered truthfully:

– Yes, 35,000 rupees.

She nodded, as if giving an order:

Okay. From now on, you give me 20,000 rupees every month to take care of Amit (my brother-in-law). He needs money for college, money for his living expenses. When his daughter gets married, she has to take responsibility for her husband’s family.

I was stunned. I still help out when needed, but asking him to give most of my salary to my brother-in-law was pointless. I looked at Raj, expecting him to say something, but he just bowed his head and remained silent.

I replied softly:

Mom, I don’t regret it, but I also have to take care of myself, and I want to save a little for the future. 20,000 rupees is too much; I can’t afford it.

My mother-in-law immediately slammed the table, her voice hoarse:

If you won’t give in, get a divorce! This family doesn’t need a selfish daughter-in-law!

A heavy atmosphere descended on the living room. My heart ached, but Raj remained calm, unable to muster the courage to argue with his mother. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I took a deep breath and calmly said:

Mom, I married Raj to be his wife, not to be Amit’s parent. I’m ready to share, but no one has the right to force me to sacrifice my entire life for someone else. If divorce is the only option, then I’m ready.

The entire family was stunned. My mother-in-law stared at me, Raj bowed his head, and even my brother-in-law, sitting next to me, was embarrassed.

I got up and went into the room with a heavy heart. That evening, Raj quietly came in and took my hand:

I’m sorry. I know you’ve been through a lot. I’ll talk to Mom again.

The next day, Raj took me to my mother’s house in Pune and apologized to my parents. He confessed that he had been too dependent on my mother for years, unable to muster the courage to protest, and I had to bear all the pressure alone. My father simply sighed:

“Marriage is about building happiness together. If you don’t know how to protect your wife, don’t blame anyone if you lose her.”

Hearing these words, Raj seemed to awaken. He turned and spoke openly to his mother. At first, Mother was angry, but when she saw her son’s determination, she gradually calmed down. My brother-in-law also said:

Mom, I’m a grown-up, I can work part-time. I don’t want my siblings to fight because of me.

From that day on, everything changed. I no longer had to give away most of my salary. Raj and I started saving to buy a small apartment in the suburbs of Navi Mumbai. Life was still difficult, but at least I felt valued by my husband.

Sometimes I think, if I had just endured that day, I would have been stuck in a whirlpool of absurdity for the rest of my life. Luckily, I had the courage to speak up, to make everyone think.

Being a daughter-in-law isn’t easy. But I believe that when we learn to protect ourselves and our family’s happiness, others will gradually learn to respect us too.