"I was born in a Dalit family, in a village in Akola. When I was 12, everyone pushed my dad to get me married to a man, 10 years my senior, who lived in Mumbai. My dad didn't want to, but because of societal pressure, I was married off.
I came here and learned that his family lived in one room in a slum and he didn't even have a job. I was treated horribly - if there was extra salt in the food I cooked or any mistakes I made, I was beaten up by my in-laws... It was my personal hell.
After 6 months, my father visited me - he couldn't even recognize me. I was in ragged clothes and I'd lost my smile. He fought with my in-laws and took me home. Telling me to forget about it like a bad dream.
But people started blaming me. I even tried to commit suicide - and they still said that I was giving up because I HAD done something wrong, not the other way around. It was then that I realised that if I was going to be blamed in any case, I'd rather live.
With this new leaf turned, I returned to Mumbai and worked as a tailor. That was the first time I saw what Rs. 100 looked like. I rented a room in Kalyan with my savings and called my family here.
We were managing fine - but when we couldn't afford to save my sister's life, I realised that I needed to make more money for my family. So I took a government loan and started my own furniture business. It was doing well and we began living a better life.
Humans of Bombay, Fb
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