^ this.
OP I sympathize with you but either accept it or do something about it. Those are really the only two options. Only you can decide what is best and if you can spend the rest of your life like this. 40+ years compared to 6, woah. Stop caring about what everyone else thinks or what other people are saying about you. EVERY desi community is like that, yours is no exception. This community has done you no good so far so why base your decisions on what others think. It’s hard but you need to not care about that because they are not in your shoes and will not be helping you live your life so they sure as hell should not get a say in it. I used to care deeply about what others thought but trust me you will begin to feel a sense of your own freedom when you stop thinking about what others will think and do what is best for YOU and YOUR life. Start there. You cant stop people from talking, even if your MIL didn’t hate you and your life was perfect you would still hear crap through the grapevine being said about you. Gossiping is a disease in our communities. So 1. stop caring about others opinions that have no impact in your life. 2. Think really hard about the next 30+ years and how you will cope with this situation. Only you can decide this.