What comes in your mind when you hear the word intrusion? Many people say intrusion has varied meaning depending on the context but one common thing that comes into picture is INTERFERENCE. This situation is faced by each and every person irrespective of their gender or religion or maybe these are the factors which lead us to such situation.
Recently I read a short story titled as intrusion so you basically get to know about my title. It is written by Shashi Deshpande which tells us about how consent between two individuals play important roles especially in their marriage. In this story the names of the character has been kept generic as in Husband and Wife. The story tells us that how the husband intruded into wife’s body, self integrity and self hood. Marriage has always been a topic of social stigma in India. This story gives us a gist of how marital rape never gets highlighted in this cultured country. Inspite of wife’s disagreement husband forced himself saying marriage is enough to know each other.
According to Bernard Shaw, one of the critics says that “marriage is a legalised prostitution”. This statement very much fits with the situation that i read in the story. Similarly, we have so many stories that put a step forward in order to create awareness among the citizens but nothing happens. The story demands that the relationship should be based on mutuality and agreement. According to the story this logic of legalised prostitution is like winning domesticity through acceptance of husband as owner of the woman, a body and a plaything with no ideals of her own to pursue is akin to prostitution.
Also this story showcases that as soon as girl attains womanhood they should tie the marital knot and settle down with a man capable of providing with shelter, food and pleasures of physical intimacy. Women are not given the choice to pursue their interests and are forced into the trap of marriage. I am not opposing marriage but everything has a right time and marriage too has.
According to National Family Health Survey, which is under the guidance of Ministry of Health and Family Affair states that about 31% of the women are subject to physical as well as mental abuse and 83% of the married women under the age of 15-49 suffer from abuse in India.
Therefore this situation needs to be given utmost advantage even when people are ignorant towards this issue.
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