Shraddha Upadhyay : Beyond limitations

Shraddha Upadhyay said ” I was tired of putting up with his ‘Don’t wear shorts; Don’t hang out with your male friends; who are you sleeping with?’ I decided to part ways. Flamed with anger he slapped me; I went numb and stormed out of the apartment.

A few days later, he showed up at my doorstep on his knees apologizing and promising that it wouldn’t happen ever again. Young and naive, I ignored the red flags and forgave and the torture only got worse with time. I was vetoed from going to college or talking to my friends. He’d threaten me about killing himself every time I objurgate. However, one night I eloped from his apartment and went back home to Aurangabad. To my shock, he showed up there as well; not for an apology but blackmailing me about leaking out intimate pictures to my parents if I didn’t return.

Impotent and terrified of how they’d react, I had no other option but to get back. He even joined my office and told my colleagues that we were married; the toxicity and abuse that was confined to 4 walls was public now. When I got into my dream company, he tried everything in his capacity to stop me but I was reluctant. One day he tried to demolish me outside the office gate; fed up with all this wreck I finally confronted.

Yet again, there were threats of disclosing everything to my parents and the internet, but I didn’t fear this time; I told him ‘tujhe jo karna hai kar’. Fumed with rage he pushed me down the staircase, grabbed me by my hair, and slapped me. My face was bruised and my lips were bleeding; he even tried to snatch and tear my top as I ran away. I somehow managed to get home and fell into mama’s arms right away; I told my parents everything about his tenebrous acts. Unlike what I had anticipated, they were extremely supportive; we even filed a case and finally got him arrested.

But, that wasn’t all; for the next 2 years, I couldn’t sleep peacefully or step outside my house fearing that he would return to my life once again. Reading or hearing about any sort of abuse would trigger me. And one day, I suddenly received a message from him saying ‘I’m sorry’; but I knew that I could never forgive him. Thereon, I started focusing on my career and excelled at my job.

It has been 4 years to that day and now when I look back it’s no longer about the trauma, but the bravery I hold in coming so far.”