Dear Mummy Papa,
Why you don’t love Bhabhi the same way as you love me and Bhaiya? Why you have different rules for Bhabhi than me and Bhaiya? Why is she the only one who needs to follow the code of conduct that neither Bhaiya nor I was ever asked to follow?
From making her get up at 6 a.m. to pushing her to wear traditional clothes to telling her not to argue with Bhaiya to telling her not to take a stand against regressive relatives, all your rules are so different for her!
You raised me as a woman, who questions inequality and unfair treatment; you raised me to never let anyone make me believe that I am any less than a man! Then, why you treat Bhabhi less than Bhaiya? Why you make it a point to let her know that she is not equal to him?
You raised me to focus on my career; then why you preach Bhabhi the other way round! Why you have an issue with her job? Why do you want her not to treat her career as a priority?
You raised me not to follow any regressive norms, and always encouraged me to answer back to the relatives who try to demean me or you; then how the rules are any different for her? Why is she told to hear around all the gibberish regressive thoughts of our relatives? Why is she told to be sanskaari while you raised me to stand for myself!
Dear Mummy, Papa, you raised me as a woman who stands for another woman! And, when I see how another woman is being ill-treated within the walls of our own home, it leaves me heartbroken and disappointed. It leaves me deeply saddened how well-educated parents like you both are ready to succumb to the regressive social norms and treat your daughter-in-law as an educated maid.
While bhaiya attempts to balance between you and Bhabhi, I refuse to be shut anymore. I couldn’t wonder why you are ready to treat your daughter-in-law as a nanny or an educated maid. Have you wondered ever what if your own daughter is treated like that? Have you ever considered the pain that Bhabhi might have been going through? Have you ever considered why you could be so unkind to your daughter-in-law? Is it just because she is someone else’s daughter?
You promised her parents to treat her like your own daughter, then why don’t you treat her like one!
Mummy, papa, we can do better! We can treat her better! We can treat her with the love, respect, and kindness that she deserves! Let’s treat her like one of our own because she is!
Your daughter!
