From cheating husbands to abusive in-laws, 6 women reveal how life changed after marriage

<p>There’s no doubt that marriage brings a lot of changes in one’s life. You need to think twice before deciding to get married, because it would not only impact your life but also the life of your better half. And when it comes to women, the decision to tie the knot becomes, in certain cases, even tougher.<br></p><p>Post marriage, girls have to shift their base, and settle down with a new family. This might sound like a cakewalk to many, but this struggle can’t be put into words. Her life is all about new adjustments now—from the way she wears her clothes to the time she returns home. She too has certain expectations from her new family members. And the biggest hurdle is to strike a balance between her old and new life.</p><p>Who can explain this situation better than married women? We got in touch with such women from different walks of life. We asked them a bunch of questions regarding how their life has taken a turn post marriage. Some of them have recently started juggling their professional and married life, some are still trying to adjust in the new family, and a few have cracked the code to live a happy life. Here’s what these women had to say about this ‘different ball game” called marriage:</p>

<p>“The first few days, rather months, were very tough. My in-laws were (they still are) quite conservative, whereas I am a modern, working girl. Though, they are nice people but differences of opinion on matters related to daily life used to crop up very frequently. They expected me to go to the temple every day, fast on every second occasion, and wanted me to sit with them for an hour every day when they offered prayers. To be honest, there is nothing wrong in it. I was and still am an agnostic person. Initially, it used to irritate me but then I realised I had no other choice. I became patient as a person, and adjusted to the new religious atmosphere. It makes them happy, and does no harm to anybody!”<br></p>

<p>“The first two years of my marriage were quite challenging. I shifted to a new city and lived with my husband. Apart from trying to adjust to the new life, I also had to acquaint myself with the ways of life of a completely new state. I struggled to gel with the people and learn their language. I had never commuted in public transport before marriage, but I used to board a crowded metro every day to reach my office. A part of me wanted to break free from everything and go back to my own town. But the choice was never easy. With time, everything fell into place and now, I have fallen in love with this city that I hated once.”<br></p>

<p>“I had an arranged marriage, and everything seemed rosy before tying the knot. Post marriage, I got to know that my husband was in love with someone else, and was forced into this marriage. It was a shocker and I had no idea what to do. He was not willing to give our relationship a try, and would keep sobbing the entire day. Even my in-laws could not placate him. After trying to fix the situation for six months, I went back to my home. But destiny had some other plans for us. My husband called me after two months and apologised for everything. He asked me to come back and make a new starting. It has been four years now, and we have a beautiful married life.”<br></p>

<p>“Marriage is one of the best things to have happened to me. I yearned for freedom when I used to live with my parents. I was expected to be home before 7:00 pm, was not allowed to travel out of the city and in fact, I did not even go for a night out before marriage. I understood their concerns but I felt that I was missing a lot. But my life completely changed after marriage. My in-laws were quite different from my parents. My husband and I used to go for late-night parties, dinners, and they never restricted me for anything. I could not have asked for anything more.”<br></p>

<p>“I had always seen my married friends cribbing about their life post marriage. After listening to all their stories, I had lost faith in the institution of marriage. I kept on denying marriage proposals and my parents’ plea-turned-threats to tie the knot till my late 20s. But I was wrong! I found a great friend and a companion in my husband. We share an amazing chemistry, and are literally inseparable. I have been married for three years now, and can vouch that one can have a good life after getting hitched as well. One just needs to find the right person.”<br></p>

<p>"I married a man chosen by my parents. Although both the family belonged to the same community but were based in different states. Owing to the distance, we hardly met thrice before tying the knot. Just a week after my marriage, I was shocked to get a call from a girl claiming she was married to my husband. It was a bolt from the blue and for a moment I saw an impending dark future looming ahead. I confronted my husband and he accepted that he was not legally married to her, but had lived together for more than 10 years and shared everything like a real married couple. I informed my in-laws and said I would not be staying with them any longer. But instead of supporting me during this difficult time, they hurled abuses at me. I was even forced to stay in a room with doors locked from outside. Fortunately, my parents came and rescued me."<br></p>