(New Delhi) “I got married in 2004 and for the next four years, I faced physical, verbal, and emotional abuse. I don’t want to talk about the abuses because later all the bad memories rush back and I feel very disturbed. I was still trying to compromise and trying to lead a normal life but after one particular incident, I felt enough was enough and that I couldn’t continue any longer. I moved to Delhi with my one and a half years old son and then I filed a domestic violence case through an NGO and got a job at another women’s rights organisation.
But the case went on for 4-5 years with no end in sight, and it was increasingly becoming difficult to take leave from my office to attend court dates. After I filed my case, the court ordered my case to be transfered and during this process my court file was lost. The court clerks took around 7-8 months to locate my file and put before the judge. The case kept getting prolonged for years for various reasons. There seemed to be no relief and on top of it, my husband started calling all my family members and relatives and saying he wanted a reconciliation and that he would try to improve himself. My husband’s calls troubled everyone and I couldn’t let my family suffer because of me and so I withdrew the case. Right now I am still with my husband. The situation didn’t change much but it’s better.
I lived on my own for over 4 years. I had a job. I raised my kid as a single parent. I got school admission for my son on my own in a city like Delhi. I did everything on my own and it gave me a lot of confidence. Sometimes, I feel I took a wrong decision, but I try to be happy; let’s see what the future has for me.”