By Sakeena Taqi

I've seen daughters-in-law arrive in their new homes with eyes full of hope, hearts brimming with dreams. They imagine hand in hand walks with their husbands, evenings filled with laughter, a home where their voices are heard and their presence celebrated.

In Islam, marriage is sacred. It completes half of one's faith. It teaches responsibility, nurtures compassion, and creates a space where love can grow in balance and peace.

Husbands and wives are meant to be allies, sharing burdens, building a life together, and shaping a home that is a refuge.

But I've also seen that ideal falling apart.

When a Kashmiri girl enters her marital home, she is treated as a guest who must disappear into the background. She is expected to abandon her habits, comfort, ties to her family, and fold herself seamlessly into a household that often sees her as an outsider.

Every gesture she makes goes unnoticed. Her effort is measured against invisible standards. She must do every household task, endure subtle critiques if she is more educated, suppress ambition, and manage a constant flood of emotions while performing the physical labour of daily life.

She gives endlessly and is rarely allowed to simply exist.

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