Mother of Me

Chapter 24: The Monster in White

The week after Pattamma moved in became a living nightmare for the new Sangeetha.

Pattamma was everything the old stories warned about a strict, traditional, sharp tongued mother in law who believed a daughter in law’s only purpose was to serve her husband and family without question. From the very first day, she took complete control of the house like a dictator in a white saree.

Day 1

The very morning after she arrived, Pattamma sat at the dining table while the new Sangeetha served coffee.

“Why do you need to go to that shop every day?” she asked sharply. “A married woman working outside? What is the need? Your only job is to take care of your husband and this house. Selvam is earning well now. Stay at home and serve him properly.”

The new Sangeetha opened her mouth to protest, but Selvam quickly intervened.

“Amma, times have changed. Let her work if she wants. She has been managing alone for eight years.”

Pattamma grumbled but stayed silent for the moment. However, her eyes promised that this conversation was far from over.

The Bath Incident (Day 3)

On the third day, Pattamma crossed every boundary.

It was 6:30 AM. The new Sangeetha had just entered the bathroom for her morning bath when Pattamma pushed the door open without knocking.

“What is this? Why are you bathing alone? In our tradition, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law should bathe together sometimes. It builds closeness,” she declared.

The new Sangeetha’s face turned pale. “No… Amma… I’m fine alone…”

But Pattamma wouldn’t listen. She locked the door from inside and began removing her own white saree.

Left with no choice, the new Sangeetha stood trembling as she removed her nighty, then her bra and panty. She stood completely naked in front of her mother-in-law.

Pattamma looked at her body critically, then with strange approval.

“Ayyo… look at you,” she said, circling her slowly. “Such fair skin. Heavy breasts, good for feeding babies. Wide hips… perfect for childbirth. Your waist is a little thick, but that’s okay. Selvam will like this body.”

The new Sangeetha wanted to die from shame. She covered her breasts with one arm and her vagina with the other hand, but Pattamma pulled her hands away.

“Don’t be shy. We are family.”

They bathed together under the shower. Pattamma made her apply soap on her back, and in return, she soaped the new Sangeetha’s body, her hands moving over her heavy breasts, squeezing them slightly, running down her soft belly, and even between her thighs. The new Sangeetha stood there like a statue, tears flowing silently as her mother-in-law’s wrinkled hands touched every intimate part of her body.

After bathing, Pattamma made her dry herself in front of her, then helped her dress. She chose a simple cotton saree for her and personally draped it, adjusting the blouse tightly around her breasts, making sure the pallu showed just enough cleavage “to please the husband.”

The entire process was deeply humiliating. The new Sangeetha felt like an object inspected, touched, and dressed like a doll.

Throughout the week, Pattamma filled the house with poisonous traditional talks.

“A good wife should wake up before her husband. She should serve him food first. She should never argue. Her body belongs to her husband. Her thoughts should only be about his happiness.”

She criticized everything the way the new Sangeetha cooked, how she dressed, how much she talked to neighbours, even how she walked.

“You walk like a boy! Swing your hips properly when you walk in front of your husband!”

The Temple Visit (Day 5)

On the fifth day, Pattamma dragged the entire family to the famous Mariamman Temple.

She made the new Sangeetha perform special rituals for her husband’s long life and prosperity, tying sacred threads, breaking coconuts, doing 108 namaskarams, and even carrying a heavy pot of water on her head while walking around the temple. The new Sangeetha’s breasts ached badly from the physical strain. Sweat poured down her body, making her saree stick to her curves. People stared at the “devout wife” performing rituals for her husband.

Selvam watched with pride. The new Prakash watched with deep sympathy and guilt.

Day 7 - The Marriage Announcement

Today was the worst.

Pattamma sat on the sofa like a queen and made a grand announcement.

“We have a family marriage in Coimbatore next week. My sister’s grandson’s wedding. We are all attending as a family. No excuses.”

Selvam immediately agreed. “Yes, Amma. We will all go.”

The new Sangeetha felt trapped. A big marriage meant relatives, questions, more humiliation in heavy sarees, and constant performance as the “loyal wife.”

After dinner, Selvam told her, “Tomorrow morning we are going shopping. I’ll buy you a new outfit for the marriage. You should look the most beautiful there.”

The new Sangeetha could only nod weakly.

That night, after Pattamma went to sleep in the hall, Selvam entered the bedroom again.

The new Sangeetha had changed into a soft white nighty. She tried to lie down on the far edge of the bed, but Selvam pulled her close. He turned her towards him, face to face. His strong arms wrapped around her soft body. He kissed her deeply on the lips, his tongue pushing inside. His hand roamed freely — squeezing her breasts over the nighty, then sliding down to cup her vagina possessively.

He pressed his hardness against her thigh and whispered, “I want you so badly…”

But after a few minutes of heavy breathing and touching, he stopped again.

“Not yet,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Soon… when you’re ready.”

He turned to his side, keeping one arm tightly around her waist, trapping her against his body.

The new Sangeetha lay there in the darkness, tears flowing silently.

Her body was no longer hers.
Her house was no longer hers.
Her life was no longer hers.

And the worst was yet to come.