27/12/2025
My husband was forced into marriage and now lives in silence.
Aoa. I hope you are fine. I am seeking advice from married brothers and sisters because I am confused and scared.
My husband and I have been married for 6 years. He is my khala’s son. This marriage was forced on him. I was about to marry someone else, but 2 days before the wedding, he refused. At that time, we were living in a village where such situations bring shame and become a serious issue for the whole family like issues in other siblings proposals.
Because of this, my parents begged my khala and khalu to marry me to their son, who is 4 years younger than me. I was 26 years old, and my husband was 22 and still studying. My khala and khalu forced him to agree to this marriage. He did not want it at all, but because of family pressure, he had no choice. My khala’s daughter is married to my elder brother, so both families were already closely connected. Because of this relationship, my parents insisted more, and my khala and khalu felt they could not refuse without creating conflict and shame in the family. My husband was young, dependent on his parents, and his wishes were ignored.
On the first night of our marriage, my husband told me clearly that this marriage was not his decision. He said he had been forced and that he would never accept me as his wife. From that day, his behavior showed that he meant what he said.
After 1 year of marriage, we moved from the village to the city because he got a job, and I moved with him hoping things might improve. During that time and even before, he never talked to me and never touched me. During the first year, we lived in the same room, but there was no relationship between us. Now it has been five years, and nothing has changed.
I thought that maybe he avoided me because he was more educated than me. Mashallah, he is the first person in both his family and mine to study beyond class 12. He completed his MS degree and is now doing MPhil. Hoping to improve myself and reduce the gap between us, I continued my studies, and Alhamdulillah, I completed my BS degree. Even after this, nothing changed.
He does not insult me or hurt me physically or emotionally. He simply treats me like a stranger. In these five years, he has never demanded anything from me. I tried everything, crying, begging, getting angry, and trying to get close to him, but nothing worked.
Over time, he completely cut off contact with everyone. He does not talk to his parents, his elder siblings, or anyone else. His parents sometimes call me crying and beg me to let them hear his voice, but he refuses. His elder siblings also want to meet him and ask forgiveness for pressuring him into this marriage, but he refuses to see or speak to them. He has no friends and does not go out. He goes to work, comes home, and stays in his room. He does not attend family events, but he does not stop me from going.
For the past few months, his health has also not been well. I have seen him vomit something that looked like blood, which scared me deeply. When I tried to ask him what was wrong, he refused to explain anything. He goes to doctors alone, takes medicines on his own, and does not share any details with me. He does everything related to his health by himself and does not allow me to help or even ask questions. Watching him suffer silently like this has increased my fear and helplessness.
2 months ago, I attended a family gathering, and his parents again begged me to ask him to reconcile with them. After that, my own parents broke down many times. They openly admit that forcing this marriage was the biggest mistake of their lives. They feel deep shame when they see my husband’s condition and often say that they ruined an innocent person’s life because of fear of society and village pressure. My parents now avoid family gatherings because they feel embarrassed and guilty. Sometimes they cry and apologize to me and say they wish they could undo everything.
Many times, they ask me to take khula and live my life, saying they will support me fully. But even while saying this, they feel ashamed of what they did and blame themselves for the pain my husband is living with. Seeing their regret makes my own guilt even heavier.
I feel ashamed when I see my husband living like this. I feel that my parents and I destroyed the life of a person who was once happy. I asked him to see a psychologist, and he agreed. He attended around twelve sessions but did not speak during any of them. In the end, the psychologist said therapy was not working because he did not want to talk. She said it appears that he has lost interest in life and is just passing his days.
I regret everything that happened. I regret the pressure, the pain, and the damage this marriage caused him. I want to say clearly that I am willing to stay with him for the rest of my life, not because of guilt or fear or social pressure, but because I truly love him. I do not expect anything from him except love. I still hope that one day he may forgive me and understand that I never wanted to hurt him.
I love him sincerely, even if he never returns that love. I try to respect his silence and his space. I am asking for advice from people who have experience in marriage and life. What more can I do for a person who has completely closed himself off. How can I support him without causing more pain. Is there anything else I should try, or should I continue to wait patiently and pray. Any sincere advice will be appreciated.