Before marriage, I was a cheerful and ambitious girl. When I was 17, my parents got me married to someone who was 11 years older than me. During our honeymoon, I caught my husband in a compromising position with another woman.
I was shattered and I cried but when I protested, he used a belt to hit me. In due time, I discovered that he had had several affairs with women. I ignored this and thought that I should get my act together to keep him from straying. I failed to satisfy him; he had a problem with everything that was associated with me. He hated my cooking and said I did not fit in his family. He insulted me and destroyed by confidence on a daily basis. He used to slap me and physically hurt me every time he saw me studying.
If another man looked at me, he would accuse me of purposely attracting him and hit me because of this too! He never used to give me any money for anything.
He made me give up studies too. When I insisted on at least a degree education, he hit so hard that I ended up in the hospital. He told the doctors that I had an accident. This went on for a while and my in-laws did not do a thing to stop him.
After three years I conceived, but my husband asked me to go in for an abortion. I protested, but he continued to physically abuse me.
Even after my son was born, the abuse continued. He did not even pay money for the things that the baby needed. I took a job to support my child and I was being abused more for it.
I continued to work and saved up a little money. I made a few friends at the workplace and they encouraged me to walk out of my marriage.
So after 10 years, I filled for divorce and left with my son. I am now trying to get over the abuse and start afresh.
(Name withheld on request)
—As told to Nitin Kumar
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