“My husband and I shared no marital relations. He suffered impotency, which my family and I weren’t informed of before the wedding. My honeymoon was spent playing ludo, while he ignored my questions. His family didn’t appreciate us consulting a doctor either. I felt cheated.
The mistreatment by my husband and in-laws started on the very first day of my married life. My husband choked me in the middle of the night once, for no reason. They verbally abused me for dowry, comparing it with the dowry received by a relative, treated me like a burden and taunted expenditures even as low as ₹20.
Since I had moved towns to live with them, I lost my way back home one night. My husband neither helped me, nor offered to pick me up. Rather, he suggested I take public transport and figure my way back home. I was scared out of my wits, confused and feeling helpless. When I managed to make my way home, my in-laws scolded me for returning late, while my husband only watched.
My field of education was the same as their family business. So, I joined their factory, hoping I could contribute to the management, but I was made to work as labour, even if my body couldn’t take it. They made me lift kilos of raw material on my back. Apart from this, I was burdened with all the house chores. When I refused, they threatened to stop giving me food. They even damaged the laptop I’d work on.
My marriage lacked everything that a young girl would expect- love, care, happiness and respect. I wanted to end my life. I came back home quite a few times during this period. I told my mother the very first day that things weren’t right. She started having nightmares about my well-being and the stress led to a sciatica attack. I wanted to break things off. But somehow, I always went back to give things another chance. However, when his condition started getting better but our relations didn’t, I realised he was homosexual and we finally got divorced.
Through it all, my family continued to be my number one support system. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have been here today. They supported me in every possible manner and reminded me that I don’t deserve to be treated that way. No one does.”

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