Sheela prided herself on being the one in control. To her, a perfect marriage meant that everything had to be just right—and she would ensure that it was, no matter the cost. Anand, her husband, had learned this lesson the hard way. From the moment they got married, Sheela had made it clear: everything would go her way.
“Anand, how many times do I have to tell you? You don’t get to decide what we’re having for dinner!” she snapped, her voice echoing through the house. “Just follow what I say, and things will be smooth. Is that so difficult?”
Anand, with a defeated sigh, placed the groceries she had rejected back in the bag. Over time, he had learned not to argue, but the weight of her control suffocated him. It wasn’t just about dinner—it was about everything. What clothes he wore, which friends they could meet, how he spent his weekends—Sheela made every decision.
Sheela was not one to tolerate mistakes, especially not from Anand. The smallest slip-up would lead to an outburst. If he forgot to do something exactly the way she wanted, she would tear into him with sharp words. “I don’t understand why you even try if you can’t follow simple instructions,” she would say, her voice laced with disdain.
Anand lived in constant fear of her anger. Each day, he tiptoed around her, anxious to avoid provoking her wrath. She expected immediate obedience, and when he hesitated or disagreed, her intolerance would flare up. “You are incapable of even the smallest things! What’s the point of discussing anything with you?” she’d scoff.
One evening, after another exhausting day of bending to her will, Anand returned home late from work. He had forgotten to inform Sheela, caught up in an important meeting. As soon as he stepped through the door, her fury was unleashed.
“Where were you?” she demanded, her arms crossed and eyes blazing with anger. “Do you think you can just come and go as you please? This is my house, and you will follow my rules!”
“I was caught up in—” Anand began, but Sheela cut him off.
“Don’t give me excuses! You’ve become careless. I will not tolerate this!” she shouted. “If you can’t even inform me, maybe you shouldn’t come home at all!”
Her words, like daggers, struck Anand deeply. He had spent years trying to please her, obeying her every command, but her anger had only grown more unbearable. That night, after Sheela fell asleep, he lay awake, feeling the heavy burden of her control suffocate him.
Days turned into weeks, and Anand withdrew further. He no longer tried to engage with Sheela. He simply followed her orders in silence, but his heart was distant, cold.
One day, unable to bear the weight any longer, Anand packed a bag and left a note on the table. When Sheela found it, her world crumbled. She had used fear to control Anand for so long that she never imagined he would leave.
She read the note with trembling hands: “You never cared to listen. You wanted obedience, but in doing so, you broke my spirit. Now, there’s nothing left to hold on to.”
In that moment, Sheela realized the true cost of her
authority. She had ruled her marriage with an iron fist, but in doing so, she
had driven away the one person who had once loved her deeply. And now, it was
too late to make things right.