Why Indian Women Pretend to Be Happy in Marriage

Marriage is called a sacred bond, yet for countless Indian women, it becomes a test of endurance. From childhood, they are taught to adjust, compromise, and sacrifice for the sake of family honor. When pain enters their married life whether through neglect, inequality, or lack of love they rarely speak of it. Instead, they wear a smile, hiding their battles behind the walls of their homes. This silence is not weakness but survival. Spiritually, however, the question arises: does God want women to merely endure, or to live with dignity and truth?


Society has trained women to measure their worth through their ability to keep a marriage intact. Divorce is seen as shame, and even speaking about unhappiness is labeled as disobedience. This fear of judgment forces many wives to pretend they are happy, even when their hearts are drowning in loneliness. The constant whisper of “log kya kahenge?” (what will people say?) becomes a prison, where silence feels safer than honesty. Spiritually, this silence is a wound to the soul, because God values truth over pretense.

From the moment a woman enters her husband’s home, she is expected to play multiple roles flawlessly wife, daughter-in-law, mother, caregiver. Rarely is she asked what she desires for herself. When expectations pile up without support, she buries her pain and puts on a smile. Pretending becomes easier than disappointing everyone around her. Yet spiritually, life is not about pleasing others at the cost of one’s soul. Dharma, in its truest sense, is about balance where both partners honor each other’s truth.


In Bollywood films, family dramas, and wedding ads, marriage is shown as blissful and everlasting joy. Women are told that if they are unhappy, it is their fault for not adjusting enough. This myth of perfection traps wives into silence. They fake smiles to match the illusion society has created. But spirituality teaches us that perfection is not the absence of problems it is the presence of honesty and growth. A marriage built on lies, however, can never be divine.



Many Indian women enter marriage with dreams of love, companionship, and respect. But for some, love quickly turns into mechanical duty cooking, cleaning, raising children, and fulfilling rituals. Emotional needs remain unspoken, and affection fades into routine. To keep peace, they act as though everything is fine. Yet God’s love is not mechanical it is unconditional, alive, and nourishing. True marriage, in the spiritual sense, should reflect that divine love, not reduce a woman into a silent servant of tradition.


Marriage is called a sacred bond before God, and women are told that leaving or questioning it is a sin. This belief makes many hide their suffering behind prayers and smiles. But spirituality does not demand endurance of pain it asks for truth and respect. Even in scriptures, Draupadi questioned injustice, and Sita walked away from a life that denied her dignity. Pretending to be happy is not dharma; living with honesty and courage is. God does not bless silence that hides suffering; He blesses truth that leads to healing.


Not all women remain silent. More and more wives today are finding the courage to speak, seek help, or even walk away from marriages that deny them peace. They are proving that happiness is not pretending but choosing truth. Spiritually, this courage is God’s strength flowing through them. Just as fire purifies gold, pain awakens women to their inner divinity. Breaking the cycle of silent suffering is not rebellion it is a return to self-respect and spiritual dignity.

Indian women have long pretended to be happy in marriages, not out of weakness, but because society left them no choice. But silence cannot be the destiny of half the population. Spiritually, God never intended women to hide their tears behind forced smiles. Love, respect, and honesty are the true pillars of a marriage. The day society learns to value these over appearances, women will no longer need to pretend. Until then, their silence remains a cry we must learn to hear not with judgment, but with compassion.


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