Pretty Young Lady Shares Heartbreaking Story On How She Was Married Off To A Truck Driver At Age 18, She Was Infected With HiV, Got Pregnant & Lost Her Baby

I was just 18 when I was married off to Rahul—a truck driver in his 30s. I wasn’t happy but I became a wife.

That’s where my nightmare began… As a new bride, I was hopeful. But the moment I reached MY new house I got to know it was never mine—I was his 2nd wife. Moreover, he began abusing me—both verbally & sexually; it became my new normal. He’d say, ‘Humse shaadi kyu ki?’ And I couldn’t even go back home—I’d be a burden. But soon after, I began falling sick often but nobody cared.

After 3 months, he brought back his 1st wife & threw me out of the house. I went back to my parents. By then, I’d developed a very bad infection & fever. He never showed up until January, when my grandfather passed.

But even then, he forced himself on me & left me pregnant. When I tried telling him, he called me names & stopped talking to me.

Again, I was alone. But I stayed strong for my baby. Papa supported me then—he took me to the hospital for check-ups. But I kept sick throughout and consulted a doctor.

A few tests later, at 36 weeks, she said, ‘Aap HIV positive hai.’ Rahul hurt me even in his absence.
And last Sunday, I went into labour. Papa rushed me to the hospital. But the doctor said, ‘Isse chuna mat—isko HIV hai.’

The pain was excruciating & after a point my body gave up- I couldn’t feel my baby anymore. They wouldn’t even check for my baby’s heartbeat! They said, ‘Agar tumhe kuch janna hai toh khud karlo’.
For the next 6 hours, I lay on the stretcher, in tears & sweat.

At 8pm, a nurse took me for delivery.
By 9pm she said, ‘Aapko beti hui hai’. But they rushed him out saying that he had trouble breathing. I barely slept despite the exhaustion. But in the morning, they confirmed my fear—my baby was dead. The world crumbled & my heart crushed in that moment.

My daughter lost a chance to live because doctors, who are medical professionals, allowed their prejudice to deny me treatment. They, of all people, should know that HIV is not transmitted by touch. Today, I am a childless mother because the world decided that HIV+ people are ‘untouchable.’

But my daughters’ death will not go in vain—I will speak up & change the way people think of HIV.’’ #WorldAIDSday

Written by: Anagha R

Source: Humans of Bombay

Email: elora.akpotosevbe@yahoo.com