“For the longest time, I grew up believing that I needed to accept whatever was thrown at me. I got married through an arranged marriage setup at the age of 23. I was so naive back then and I didn’t even know how to voice my opinions. I nodded my head to whoever was shown to me giving little attention to what my heart wanted. The marriage happened in a grand manner but I never could connect with the person. I drowned the voice inside me saying I was doing what was expected out of every girl in this society – to earn respect and dignity for my family. Shortly after the marriage ceremony, we moved out the country as his work was based out of the US. We fell into a comfortable routine – I would take care of the house and the chores and he would be earning for the two of us. As time grew, the loneliness started to eat on me. It was a completely foreign place and I couldn’t speak to anyone in and around my area. My ex would be gone for the whole day, consumed in his work and I was left all alone in the house. Life became so difficult to live and I was helpless beyond measure. I slowly started to divert myself with YouTube where I started to learn different art forms from dot painting to mandalas to mehandi. I attracted a small clientele for my work and I earned a few bucks here and there but the gaping void inside me couldn’t be filled. My ex was an introvert and he would rarely speak a word to me. I would go for days without speaking even a word to each other. I was worried that I may even forget what it was like to have an active communication. When things got too extreme for me to handle, I convinced him to buy me a ticket back home and I flew to my parents and never went back. What followed was an huge ordeal – convincing my parents for a divorce and then helping them see the situation from my end. We are currently in the process of filing the divorce papers and it’s been the single most difficulty year of my life. I never imagined my life to be around court rooms and divorce petitions but here we are. I have taken up a job and focused on improving my career above anything else. The future lies in uncertain terms but I’m happy that I did the right thing by me and stood up for myself.”
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