I know there are a lot of women who misuse 498a but I am also sure of those who silently suffer. I am reaching out to you my brothers and sisters for genuine advice as I think I have committed mistake of lifetime by giving up on my marriage.
I am guilty of beating my wife in a way unfit to be described. She got medical treatment but did not press any charges against me. I did it in a fit of anger and influence from my family.
we both were in her parents’ house when this happened. I left her that night and never went back.
For a year she and her parents tried various mediation and i never attended influenced by my family. my family had her money and dowry too.
Finally when my parents lay down more demands, and i silently supported, her parents brought a mediator for Mutual Consent Divorce.
I was shocked so was she, but it was her last attempt to wake me up. I realise she probably had hopes till the second motion and I made no attempt to answer her calls or request to meet for a counselling or talks. Finally she, her parents and counsellors gave up and we were granted divorce. More than half of her dowry and jewellery are still with my parents. She nor her parents fought for it.
Now a month is over since our divorce got finalised and its only now it has hit me what I did to my life. I was in a state of shock and my parents forced me to do MCD for the fear they would charge 498a against me.I wanted to be back with her because there was this woman who was willing to make it work with me even though I wasn’t man enough to stand up for her.
Now I am in depression of what has happened. I know it will take two months for the divorce paper to come through my questions are :
- Can I undo anything now? She has moved countries as far as I know..
- She has a permanently deformed finger from what I did to her. She has bank statements that show my dad withdrew all the dowry. Can she still file 498a against me at a later stage if she wants to though we are not legally related anymore? my parents always threaten me this.