Held hostage at home
From Vimal Sumbly
Tribune News Service

HISAR, Dec 12 — Ruby Yadav (not her real name) was always apprehensive of the feudal attitude of her family. The family owns hundreds of acres in a village near Delhi. Her fears came tragically true.

Though conservative, Ruby's parents sent her to a convent school and then to one of the prestigious colleges in Delhi. They helped her get admission in the MBA course. The fear of returning to her feudal family set up, however, continued to haunt her. She was determined not to be married off to a feudal lord.

Ruby fell in love with Naresh Sharma (not his real name), her classmate. They had nothing in common. Not even the caste. Naresh belonged to a middle class family.

As Ruby's course was about to end, she decided to marry Naresh, lest she be married off according to the wishes of her parents. In early December, Ruby and Naresh got married in a local temple. That was the beginning of the end of their relationship. The moment they came out of the temple, they were detained by the police.

However, the following day they were released by a local magistrate as both were found to be adults. By this time Ruby's parents came to know about the marriage. They rushed from Delhi and laid a virtual siege to the hostel where she was staying, demanding that their daughter be handed over to them. It was midnight. The hostel warden did not oblige them as he was apprehensive about the welfare of the girl. The girl’s relatives were heard saying they could even pay 'supari' for getting one of the lovers killed.

The girl reportedly resisted several attempts by her parents to take her home. Just before her exams, however, she was forcibly taken away, despite pleadings by her teachers which fell on deaf ears.

Ruby’s classmates told TNS that she wanted to escape the "feudal atmosphere" of her family. Despite being educated she knew she would be confined to the four walls at her parents’ home till her marriage into a similar family. That is why she married Naresh in haste.

Naresh reportedly wanted to marry after the exams. But Ruby insisted that it would be too late then.

Now Ruby is reportedly confined to a room in her native village. A round-the-clock vigil is being kept on her. Every phone call she receives is being monitored.