My monthly salary is $420 USD, my mother-in-law forced me to give $240 USD to my brother-in-law. They also said: “If they don’t, we will get a divorce”, I just said that the whole family was left speechless.

My name is Ananya, I am 28 years old and I work as an accountant in an import and export company in Mumbai. After years of hard work, I’ve received a salary of $420 USD per month – not much compared to many, but for me it’s all because of studies and hard work. I thought that when I got married, my husband would be my support, and that his family would be the place where I would find peace. But life is not like a dream.

My husband, Raj, may be weak, but he is weak. Ever since I got married, I have always tried to save money to support my family. However, my mother-in-law – Mrs. Kamala Devi – thinks differently. She loves her youngest son – my brother-in-law – so much that everything in the house revolves around him.

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

– Ananya, how much is your salary this month?

I answered truthfully:

– Yes, $420 USD.
She nodded and as if commanding:

good From now on, you give me $240 USD every month to take care of Amit (my brother-in-law). He needs money for college, money for sustenance. When a daughter gets married, she has to take the responsibility of her husband’s family.

I was stunned. I still help when needed, but it was pointless to ask me to give most of my salary to my brother-in-law. I looked at Raj, hoping he would say something, but he just bowed his head and kept quiet.

I replied slowly:

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

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

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

There was a huge atmosphere in the meeting room. My heart was hurting, but Raj still sat still, unable to muster the courage to argue with his mother. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I took a deep breath and said calmly:

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

The whole family was stunned. My mother-in-law was staring at me, Raj had bowed his head, and my brother-in-law sitting next to me was also embarrassed.

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

I’m sorry. I know you have suffered a lot. I’ll talk to my mom again.

The next day, Raj took me to my mother’s house in Pune and apologised to my parents. He confessed that he had been too dependent on my mother for many years, couldn’t muster the courage to resist, and that I had to endure all the pressure alone. My father simply sighed:

To get married is to create happiness together. If you don’t know how to protect your wife, don’t blame anyone for losing her.

Hearing these words, Raj seemed to wake up. He turned and spoke frankly to his mother. At first the mother was annoyed, 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 brothers and sisters to quarrel because of me.

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

Sometimes I thought, if I had endured that day silently, I would have been caught in the vortex of absurdity for the rest of my life. Fortunately, I had the courage to say something, to make everyone think.

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