Who Killed Twisha Sharma? Weddings, Divorces and Dowry Death in India

"Girls like it, especially if they've never been married before—it's the dress. Girls want a wedding, they don't want a marriage. If only you could have weddings without marriages!" [1]

When Salman Rushdie made this statement during an interview for ELLE magazine [2008], it sparked controversy.  Rushdie's comment highlighted the difference between the glam, Instagram-friendly wedding as an event vs marriage as a long-time commitment that often lasts for a lifetime. 

It may have taken him around four marriages to reach this conclusion. However, in the wake of different news about failed marriages, dowry deaths, crime against men/women, this statement appears quite relevant these days for both genders. 

It is ok to aspire for a fanciful wedding or a lifestyle.

But when did "lifetime" become the "life-cost"? 

Homicidal Marriages: Easier to seek lawlessness over lawful submission

Apparently,  Homicide has become a national hobby where men and women, finding it easy to get away from the law, instead of taking things amicably or lawfully.

After the infamous Blue Drum, Sonam- Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, the Atul Subhash case,  two new cases where women are allegedly killed for dowry have shaken the nation [again]. And they are not just limited to the cases in the news. There are thousands more that could never make the news and are buried after a small-time Insta post. Forget the headline or justice.

Whether it is the influence of media and cinema that often makes little girls dream of a prince riding a white horse, wed them to a life full of bliss in a Pinterest-inspired setup. Or the societal pressure of getting married is making smart men and women jump on the bandwagon, often selecting the wrong life partner. Or the dynamic socio-economic environment, where even years-long courtship couldn't survive the day, or the months

The institution of marriage is failing. 

And that's still ok as long as both partners move away amicably. What is not ok is the culmination of life.

The Twisha Sharma's case

Twisha Sharma's case is an example of misuse of power and authority. 

Twisha is a young bride from Noida, married to Samarth Singh, an advocate and has moved to his Bhopal residence. After 5 months of marriage, and an abortion, she was found dead on her marital home's terrace. Her husband was absconding, and her mother-in-law, retired district judge Giribala Singh, went around town/media mouthing criticism for the deceased girl without worrying about her final rites.

It is an open and shut case, and a troubled example of how mental health is being misused as a decoy for Homicide.

Giri Bala Singh is akin to that every entitled mother-in-law, who thinks their son can do no wrong, but someone else's daughter is always at fault, even though she's part of their family, she will be treated as an outsider. It is the daughter-in-law who has mental issues, drug habits and whatnot. 

Being a retired Judge, she knew every inch of law, and the lawmaker in the vicinity steered clear of her heinous act. Surprisingly, she got succedded doing that as well, while the bereaving family fought for their dead daughter's post-mortem. 

Indeed, law is blind, and lawmakers are the kingmakers.

And we burn Ravan every Dussehra, who just kidnapped Sita to his land, yet kept her respectfully. 

I think it is high time Ravan's idol should be replaced with such a montage of criminals whose crimes have been forgiven over the public visibility and memory. 

We often criticised media trials, but they are instrumental in bringing public attention, accountability and sometimes justice. It is the widespread outrage in this case that brought it to the forefront, yet people are unsure of justice as the accused is an ex-judge and she clearly knows how to tickle and tackle the law, as she kept the nation busy in her dying plant sob story, while happily cleansing the crime scene for days. Maybe she will get a seat in parliament after a clean chit.

Fortune to Fortuner

Families spend a fortune on lavish Bollywood-inspired weddings by Karan Johar, Yash Chopra and Suraj Barjatya. Yet films like Vivah also remind us that marriage is a sacred commitment about values, not just grand celebrations. If positive influence outweighed negative, perhaps films would not need censorship. 

Maybe next time, when a first-time demand knocks on the door, irrespective of the size and volume of wheels, know where to stop. 

Perhaps the real crisis is not the marriage itself, but a society that celebrates weddings more than relationships, Power more than accountability. Until value outweighs vanity, and Justice outweighs privileges, tragedies like this may continue to repeat behind closed doors. 

Not every Twisha turn out dead, maybe some are suffering in silence, braving violence and fighting every day to make their marriages work. Because they know that women are not safe anywhere in this country.

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