u/BackgroundSouth1549

I'm currently living with my parents, my brother, and my sister-in-law (SIL). This was an arranged marriage, and honestly, none of us in the family were truly ready for it.

Her father had been approaching my father continuously for almost two years. We had already spent over 10 years looking for a bride for my brother and were mentally exhausted. My father eventually agreed half-heartedly because my brother was crossing what people consider the "marriageable age." Even until the last moment, my father wasn't sure. My brother also didn't want the marriage, but he couldn't take a stand and say no, so the engagement happened.

Soon after the engagement, my brother met with a severe accident and injured his spine. Around the same time, every member of our family, including me, fell seriously ill. My mother's health has never been the same since then, and it took almost two months for the rest of us to recover.

Just before the wedding, a minor conflict nearly caused the marriage to be called off, but it still went ahead.

Only after the marriage did relatives start telling us things they hadn't mentioned before—that her family is known for constant fights and that domestic violence is considered normal there.

When I first started talking to my SIL, I realised she couldn't speak proper Hindi. That itself wasn't a major issue for me. What really concerned me was that she has an M.Sc. in Mathematics with more than 90% throughout school and college, yet when someone casually asked what she had studied, she couldn't even answer properly. My sister had to tell them it was Mathematics. Later, I asked her to solve a very basic algebra equation involving x and y, and she couldn't do it. We later found out that her college has a reputation for selling degrees. I genuinely believe she has very little actual knowledge despite her academic record.

Over time, I also noticed a lot of other behaviours that have made living together very difficult. She lies very easily, even about small things. She behaves extremely sweetly in front of people but criticises them behind their backs, including her own husband. It honestly feels like she isn't loyal to anyone.

She also copies almost everything my mother, sister, and I do—from the uncommon words we use to the makeup products we buy. She spends hours every day on the phone with her parents, telling them every tiny detail about our household, even things as insignificant as whether I skipped dinner. I genuinely don't understand why anyone would share every single detail of another family's private life.

Another thing that makes this situation confusing is that my brother works in another city. My mother even asked my SIL to go and live with her husband, but she refused. She said she wanted to stay here and "serve her in-laws." However, that isn't what has happened. Instead, the atmosphere at home has become increasingly stressful.

My brother has been a bully since childhood, and after the marriage it feels like the two of them have become a team. Whenever my parents aren't home, they often gang up on us. Today was another example—my parents were out, and she started another argument with us for no real reason.

I've tried ignoring everything for a long time, but I can't anymore.

I'm preparing for competitive exams, and I need a calm and peaceful environment to study because I have to concentrate on difficult concepts. Instead, my mind is constantly occupied with what's happening at home. Since last year, I've gone to bed crying silently many nights. Now I get frequent headaches, sometimes I feel like I might faint, and the constant stress is making me worry about my health.

My parents don't want to separate the family because they're worried about what society will say. My sister and I are also unmarried, and they fear that any family conflict or separation could affect our future marriage prospects.

To make things even harder, my SIL is the kind of person who can instantly start crying if she's confronted, making herself look like the victim. It becomes almost impossible to have an honest conversation because everything turns into emotional drama.

I genuinely feel trapped. I don't know how much longer I can continue living like this without it affecting my mental health even more.

Has anyone dealt with a situation like this? How do you protect your peace when leaving home isn't an option right now? Any practical advice would be appreciated.