Komala* (33) found herself in a string of unfortunate events when she married a man from her municipality. At first, her marriage was happy. The couple had two sons, and they lived with her in-laws, and the family dynamic was mostly agreeable. When her husband found an opportunity to work in Dubai, he immediately seized it and trusted that Komala and the children would be fine with his parents. It didn’t take long for the in-laws’ masks to slip off their faces.
Komala’s husband’s work emboldened the in-laws to show their hatred of her. They started mistreating her and accusing her of wasting the money that her husband had been sending home, when all she did was spend it on their home and their children. Every day was mental torture for her, and she did not know what else to do. She tried to be nicer to them, but they only got worse over time—manipulating every situation as they pleased.
At times, they would make up stories that would create conflict between the couple. Unfortunately, the lies were too convincing for her husband to believe. They told him that Komala was seeing other men. For what reason? Perhaps they did not want her competing with their son’s salary, so they tried their best to push her out of the picture. At one point, Komala could no longer take the mental distress anymore. She decided to move in with her sister, but this gave her in-laws the narrative that she was staying in the house of another man. Although untrue, Komala was frustrated that she could not fully defend herself.
Her husband returned home from Dubai with the intention of divorcing her. She thought it was for the best, after all, he never believed her, his wife. Instead of divorcing her, he filed false accusations against her, which led to her temporary detention. Komala asked him to divorce her instead, but he refused to grant one. She is left in a state of limbo where she is neither allowed to return home nor given legal freedom.
In moments like this, what must a woman do to preserve her dignity? She called a friend, rather, an acquaintance based in India. She asked him to help her find a job, and he promised to arrange employment for her. To afford her departure, she sold her jewelry and took an early morning bus to Sanauli and then to India.
In Sanauli, she met the man she called, accompanied by another 35-year-old Indian man, who was introduced as another job recruiter. Komala did as she was told. Before travelling to India, they instructed her to stay in a hotel for a few days while they settled her transfer to India. Desperation caused her to blindly trust these men.
That same night, the two men drugged her by spiking her soda with some mind-altering substance. As she weakened, the two men raped her and stole her money and remaining gold jewelry. She was also locked in that same room where even her screams would be left unheard. When she looked for her cellphone, she could no longer see her contacts. Her SIM card was destroyed, and all her contacts were deleted. The two men left her alone as they went back to India, not caring anymore if the door was locked enough for her to escape.
Komala had nothing to lose at this point. They took everything she had: her belongings, her contacts, her dignity. The least she could do was follow them across the border. Upon following them, our staff noticed her helpless demeanor. We interviewed her and realized that she is indeed in a vulnerable state. The authorities arranged her trip to our safe home for protection and recuperation.
Our timely intervention rescued her from further following these two dangerous men. Right now, she is receiving care and counseling at a safe home. For the first time in a long time, Komala found people who truly wished for her safety and well-being.
*Name changed for privacy.
Our Partners
Be a Part of the Solution
Together, we can protect more girls and women from the horrors of human trafficking. Your generosity can save lives and provide hope.
Be their lifeline.
