The moment she picked up the call, her friend on the other end was weeping uncontrollably...

Why...what happened, she panicked.

Do you remember that boy from college? Her friend asked.

Yes, I remember him! She mentioned his name and the department. 

How can their story in college be forgotten...

The two seemingly introverts falling in love.. walking on the campus a few feet away from each other.. having cool drinks, not one bottle with two straws but different flavors for each of them.. and paying for their own drinks, each time at the canteen. Many weird rules of their relationship, we heard of.

But these two, who never talked at all in the group were always seen talking to each other with active hand gestures, eye contact, composed body language, and a lot of smiles. They were deeply connected and looked beautiful together. In the final year, the boy met her parents. And since then he took leaves on medical ground for months together, wrote exams, and left the city. Never appeared again into her life.

It was 20 years ago. After her suicide attempt, depressed phases, many therapies, she got married and now has a beautiful family with a 14yo daughter and 11yo son.  

She asked her friend, what happened to him now?

He was threatened by my father. Else he wouldn't have left me, she cried loudly.

Feeling helpless, she let her friend cry for some time and said,

Dear, you saw him somewhere now?

            Her friend said, No.

Saw his picture on any social media?

            Her friend said, No.

Met any common friends?

            Her friend said, No.

You had any fights with your husband?

            Her friend said, No.

How is your physical and emotional intimacy with your husband?

            Normal, her friend replied clearing her throat.

She couldn't trace any roots to her friend's situation. She let her friend talk about her story. She gradually moved the conversation to how she felt about herself during the relationship, how she reacted with happiness over small things, how she was sensible about her individuality and had control over her actions, how people are accountable and responsible for their choices despite any situations, how she lost but regained her strength, how she survived all these years, how she created a wonderful family and how her story should always and be only about her.

Her friend said she feels better now after talking and continued with the usual conversations. 

She listened to her friend, watching the muted television. She still couldn't figure out the reason for her friend's thought after all these years. Is it the midlife crisis or the lack of recognition or lack of attention or the feeling of losing the self-identity? 

That's when the scrolling in television says about the honor killing in the neighboring State...

Of course, we live in a society where love is condemned but the sexual abuses and harassment at buses, trains, office spaces, parking lots, lifts, streets,.... and at homes are normal. The children here experiences sexual abuse, a way before experiencing love. 

This is an intensely sick society that enables and normalizes abusers.