r. On the other hand, Trivedi-Pipee relationship refreshes previous Sita-Astha relationship. Mrs. Trivedi is intolerant of her daughter’s unmarried status and her secular decision and from her parts; she tries her best to convince Pippe not to marry Aijaz. The relationship between Astha and her mother-in-law is based on some stereotyped envies by Astha and domineering attitudes by her mother-in-law. For instances, Astha envies Hemant’s close bonds with his parents, his care and financial supports for them. In contrast, she misses her mother. On the other hand, Astha’s mother-in-law, out of jealousy, says: “Such a husband” when Astha is gifted “a diamond ring” by Hemant on the occasion of their anniversary. Astha’s mother in law thinks that her son is the best son in this world and being the wife of such husband Astha is really lucky. Similarly, Astha-Sangeeta relationship is not friendly one. Sangeta envies Astha’s happiness; like Hemant’s love and care for her, or her parent’s liberal attitudes towards her which she does not find from her husband and in-laws. Due to internalized notions of patriarchy women envy women.
In Indian society, marriage taboo causes obstacles in the path of independent wish and freedom. From her childhood, an Indian girl is taught that she is born to marry, procreate and serve other mutely. She is brought up with the idea that is “Woman is Earth” that is why she has to be docile, humble and loyal as she is going to leave her parental house in order to serve her in-laws’ house. In this story, Astha’s mother is the guardian of patriarchal values who teaches her to pray to God for a “good husband”. To quote Kapur, “Every day in her temple corner in the kitchen, she prayed for a good husband for her daughter.” (Kapur: 01) Similarly, Seema, Sangeeta, Mrs. Trivedi, Pipee, Sita all met the same things from their up bringers.
In Third World context, a daughter is brought up with large supplements of fear that are the facts that she should be chaste, pure, and virtuous in order to be an ideal daughter, ideal wife and ideal mother. Such expectations and family teachings grow fear in their mind that impedes them. On the contrary, the Western girls are not fed up with such teachings like Indian girls. Karthika V.K. comments: “This notion of chastity is considered as a part of the pristine Indian culture which is different from the western culture which does not create a lot of differences between men and women.” ( Karthika, 2015) Women in Third World countries, have to pass chaste ordeals. Glorification of chastity or honour for virginity is echoed by the words of Third World mothers or grandmothers. A Third World wife has to prove her virginity in her bridal house as Astha proves it to Hemant. Otherwise, this girl is considered as impure and rejected.
In Third world society, conventional systems and customs are deep-seated and in the traditional system “Indianness” is structured around gender discrimination giving narrow space to female for freedom. Right from the marriage, the bride’s integration into the family begins. She is directed and instructed into the lifestyle and habit of her husband’s family. As Astha in Hemant’s family, has submerged into the roles: wife, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and mother. But despite her all efforts to dedicate herself genuinely to the well being of the family she is considered as an outsider. Astha wants a room that should be used for the sake of art and painting. She wants to possess some space of her own like Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own (1929). But this room was given to Sangeeta as she has to live with them. Again, Astha wants to buy a car with her inherited money from her parents. But now Hemant is the owner of this money. Once again she is rejected. It is the tradition in Third World Indian society that a daughter-in-law has to sacrifice for the happiness of others. But when the same bride turns into a mother-in-law, she holds an authoritative voice, particularly over the daughters-in-law; as Astha’s mother-in-law’s influence over Astha. In the same wa