An Indonesian woman is winning sympathy for sharing her story about her short-lived marriage with a man she barely knew, who was temperamental especially when things didn’t go his way.
The woman, Eka S. Rufaidah, recently shared her story on Twitter and Instagram. She met her husband through taaruf, or meeting a prospective marriage partner without dating, a day after receiving an email containing his CV in late February.
The groom is a 39-year-old who holds a doctorate degree, working as a lecturer at a private university in Jakarta. At their first meeting, Eka brought a friend while he brought his parents and younger siblings. His parents, who agreed to cover the cost of the wedding, immediately asked Eka to marry him.
The engagement ceremony was held on March 6, while the vows were said a week after. Their wedding reception was scheduled for March 20 in his home city.
However, their marriage only lasted until the day of the reception. Speaking to a local news outlet, Eka alleged that her husband has obsessive compulsive disorder and only found out a day after they got married, though she said she didn’t have any issues with his condition.
During their eight-day union, Eka said she was by her husband’s side when he was admitted to a nearby clinic after contracting COVID-19. When she prepared his meal, a part of her clothing got on his rice, which angered him.
“His unstable emotions made me scared of him,” Eka wrote.
Another day, as she was rinsing rice prior to cooking it, Eka said he scolded her because her rinsing technique was not in line with his preferred method. He ordered Eka to throw away the rice, to which she obeyed.
Eka said when she took a rest after experiencing menstrual stomach cramps, her husband scolded her harshly, saying that she was a “disobedient wife.”
A day later, Eka asked for permission to return to her parents’ home. There, she received a WhatsApp message from him outlining his intention to divorce her.
When asked about her reason for publishing her personal story online, Eka said she wanted other women to learn from her experience.
“I hope that other women won’t have the same fate as me, and hopefully it serves as a reminder to many men out there to respect women. Marriage is not a thing that should be taken lightly,” Eka said.
