I was studying in Class VII and was only 12 when my marriage was fixed with my aunt’s son (my cousin). He has completed his graduation and owns three acres of land. The relatives got together and fixed the marriage. There was a grand engagement. My father gave a dowry of seventy grams of gold and Rs.1.5 lakh in cash as an advance to settle the marriage. My father was very close to their family and managed their land holdings, agriculture and crops and was their right hand man.
I was not willing to get married and contacted MVF to inform them. MVF brought the anganwadi workers and MRO to intervene and stopped the marriage. My cousin who was supposed to get married to me was angry and had my father beaten up for stopping the marriage. Later, he got married to someone else and refused to return the dowry.
My parents were very upset and stopped my education. I am depressed that so much expenditure was incurred and wanted to die. I was tortured and abused by everyone in the family for bringing such ill fate. Thankfully, my mother’s brother came to my rescue. He saw what I was going through, counselled my parents and admitted me in KGBV. I have now completed Class X and will study further’.
Narrative provided by M Venkatarangaiya Foundation in their report ‘…and they never lived happily ever after. The battle for justice goes on: Voices of married girls in Telangana
