Member-only story
They Told Me I Didn’t Have the Right to Say No
Growing up in a small village in an environment full of restrictions is not easy for everyone. The airy village environment may be good for your physical health, but it destroys your mental health. You cannot expect people in rural areas to be as open-minded or liberal as those in urban spaces.
The situation can become even more dire that you can imagine.
My friend could not fight her fate when she was forced to marry her cousin. She tried her best to escape, yet she could not.
She was not allowed to receive an education. Being unable to read or write should not be a barrier to sharing your voice with the world, but it is. That is why she shared her story with me, and I am narrating it for you on her behalf.
Her story
I was born in a village, and I am the youngest of all my sisters with no brother. Yes, you got it right! No brother. I have always seen people criticizing my mother for giving birth to five daughters. She has spent a life full of frustration, and we had to face all her anger, as she could not say anything to anyone. My father has always been polite to us, but he has never really stood up for us.
There was only one school in our village, and it was made of mud.
