“My name’s Vishal and I’m working as a teacher now at Orchids The International School, Magadi road, Bangalore. I have always been a pampered child. I was raised like a princess by my parents and used to get everything I ever desired; my father made sure of that. Though I was pampered, my parents raised me to be an independent woman, and with their blessings and hard work, I got my dream job at IBM after completing my MBA in finance.
My life was going smoothly till a catastrophe hit my family, and I lost my father due to a terminal illness. I was still mourning his loss and was yet to accept the reality when due to societal pressure, I was married off to my uncle’s son.
My marital life was nothing short of a nightmare for me. After my wedding, I realised my husband did not earn enough to support his family. Despite that, I was ordered to leave my lucrative career and manage the household chores but not before pledging all my jewellery and saving to fund my husband’s start-up. I had nobody to have my back, and my husband did not pay any heed to my pleadings.
Things turned worse when I gave birth to my second daughter. No one turned up in the hospital, including my husband to see my newborn as they were expecting a boy, and I already had one daughter. The emotional and psychological torture increased to the point where I considered killing myself along with my daughters. I might have gone through with the plan, but looking at their beautiful faces filled me with gratitude, I decided to fight with my destiny for their sake.
Life took another turn when the deadly COVID virus infiltrated our home, and everything went topsy-turvy. . My in-laws and husband were admitted to ICU. While praying for their recovery, I received a call from the hospital stating my husband wanted to see me. I rushed to the hospital to check on my husband’s condition. I saw him through the surveillance camera, taking his last breath in front of my eyes a few seconds later.
Devastated, I returned home and called my daughters, who were at my native place. But I could not muster the courage to tell them that their father had passed away. I did not want to break their little hearts, so I told them he had gone to someplace for work.
Fourteen years back, I had a flourishing career and bright future in front of me, and now I was left penniless as my in-laws took over everything my husband owned. This time I decided it was not about me anymore, my late husband’s property and valuables belonged to my daughters, and I was not going to let anyone snatch them away from them. So, I fought tooth and nail and did everything in my power to get everything back from my in-laws, including the jewellery my father fondly preserved for me.
Finally, after a ten-year hiatus, I returned to work with my head held high. I am a teacher now and a single mother of two lovely girls. I couldn’t be prouder of myself, and when I look back, I can’t believe how I have survived the worst phase of my life. As a teacher, I make sure my students know their worth and always dare to fight for their rights. I tell them every day to never take anything for granted and be always grateful for what they have.”