An Ahmedabad woman has narrated her experience of unabated torture at the hands of an insanely
suspicious live-in partner of 15 years, who forced her to have her two front teeth removed to look ugly so that she does not attract any other man’s attention. The man, a 57-year old autorickshaw driver, did not stop at that. He also forced the woman, Geetaben (55), to stop working as domestic help. He made her life so miserable that she jumped off his autorickshaw in Dudheshwar area on Wednesday to escape from the unending trauma.
A passerby called 181 Abhayam, the helpline for women. Geetaben revealed her story to the counsellors, speaking of her unceasing attempts to douse the flames of her husband’s suspicions, which choked her self-esteem and freedom.
Officials stated that Geetaben said she and her partner fell in love 15 years ago. “Both were married and left their spouses and children to live with each other.”
Their life together was smooth. It was only last year that her partner’s suspicions became overpowering. “After I had my teeth removed and stopped working, he suspected that I was seeing somebody at home,” she said.“He got opaque plastic sheets pasted on the windows and doors so that nobody can see inside.”
The last straw was the man’s insistence that he accompany him as he drove the auto. “He would make me sit next to him the whole day as he ferried passengers,” she said. “I had be become his prisoner,” Geetaben said.
The counsellors summoned the man. “We told him that there was no cure for suspicion. The woman said that she loved him and did not want to press charges,” said Falguni Patel, co-ordinator of the 181 helpline. “The man has submitted in writing that he will mend his ways and not curb the woman’s liberties.”
