CHENNAI: Divya Nagarajan could barely stand in the Madras high court premises on Thursday. The pressures of a seventh-month ordeal that included a daring elopement, an inter-caste marriage and caste violence, with strong political overtones that spread across Dharmapuri district, sat heavily on her young shoulders. When 22-year-old Divya, who belongs to the vanniyar community, decided to elope and marry a dailt youth , all hell broke loose. Her father Nagarajan committed suicide, prompting vanniyar community members to go on the rampage in the dalit habitation in Natham colony in Dharmapuri district in November last year. "My husband and I are under huge pressure. I have decided to sacrifice my love, my marriage, for the sake of a society that is caste-obsessed, and for the sake of my mother," Divya told TOI.

There was high drama in the court premises, when, in an unexpected turn of events, Divya , who had braved the storm and stubbornly refused to leave her dalit husband all through the caste turmoil that rocked Dharmapuri , arrived unexpectedly at the Madras high court on Thursday in response to a habeas corpus plea filed by her mother Thenmozhi last year. She had disappeared from her husband's house on Tuesday night. Her husband E Elavarasan (20), who had filed a 'missing' complaint with the Dharmapuri town police, was also present in the court. Divya declined to respond to her husband's attempts to speak to her. But, Elavarasan , appearing shocked, said, "I strongly believe she will not leave me. We have been facing all these troubles only because I am born a dalit ."

Divya said she was under tremendous pressure to leave her husband and that she was in a disturbed state of mind. Her mother and relatives accompanied the young woman, who appeared too weak to even stand on her own, in the court premises. Her marriage to dalit youth Elavarasan in October last year against the wishes of her family precipitated a deep vanniyar-dalit rift not seen in the region for more than a decade. Under pressure from village leaders to advice his daughter to return to the family, Nagaragan committed suicide, triggering violence that spread rapidly in the region. "My father's death was unexpected. I have been feeling guilty about his suicide, the violence that followed and the houses of dalit families that were burnt down. I am unable to sleep or eat properly due to the trauma," Divya said, breaking down.

"Now, whenever I think about it, I shiver with fear. I can't understand why caste plays such a role in our society?" she said. Justifying her decision to suddenly leave her husband and to return to her mother, Divya said, "I have certain responsibilities towards my family. At the same time I am also grateful to Elavarasan, who took good care of me despite the turmoil around us," she said, adding that she was forced to remove her mangalsutra soon after she reached her mother's house in Sellankottai in the district.

Divya said she was not kidnapped or forcibly taken away from her husband. "I have been talking to my mother in recent months over phone. I can understand her trauma. Elavarasan and I have also been under huge social pressure," she said. On Tuesday, when her mother came to Dharmapuri town for medical treatment, Divya decided to meet her and accompany her back home. "It was a tough decision for me," she Divya, trying to hold back tears.

Listening to her daughter, Thenmozhi said, "I am in a fix. I don't know whether to be happy because my daughter has returned to me or feel sad that her married life has been shattered." Embittered by the events, Elavarasan said, "The last three months I thought her mother had a change of heart and was backing us. It is only now that I believe she has been influencing her daughter and is still opposed to our marriage."