I didn't know that I was so innocent or dumb to understand when things were going to go down in my life. It all started when I said 'Yes' to him.
I was 15 years old when we got into a relationship and were together for 11 years. After a lot of struggle, I convinced my parents and got engaged to him. Post the engagement, his true colors started coming when I started working and earning more than him.
He is a planner and he knew that I was a brilliant student so, in the future, I would earn more than him and he could still dominate over me for everything . During the engagement, he demanded a gold neck chain and ring. I was able to provide for him without asking my parents' help so I gifted him whatever he asked for.
Later, things became worse. When we started preparing for our marriage, his father and sister started teaching him all the possible ways to fool me and so they asked for dowry.
In my family, I was the only girl so my father was able to satisfy their desire. He had to borrow money from his friends and relatives eventually when their demands increased.
When I was in a relationship for 11 years, he never hit me but it all started after my engagement. He started beating me up for small things.
One day before our marriage he beat me up and pulled my hair in front of his cousins, mother, and sisters because of the photographer. My brother was also there but he couldn't help me because he told him that if he told anyone in the house, he'd break the marriage.
With all the pain and red rashes on my body, I got married to him the next day.
From that day onwards, I have been only getting beaten by him and his family, including his sister. Six months later, if beating me up wasn't enough, he came to my place and beat up my parents and filed a complaint against them.
Later, he sent a divorce notice to the wrong address. I only got to know of this 6 months too late. By that time, he has married again and his second wife is 3 months pregnant.
And I'm still wondering - what were we for all of those 11 years?