Shreya’s mother had left when she was six months old; her father was a chronic alcoholic.
Between two unreliable parents, changing schools, shifting homes and hostels, the only anchor she had was her paternal aunt. She trusted her more than any adult around her, and there was good reason for it. Her aunt had taken care of her for the first ten years of her life and even enrolled her in a hostel for further studies. When Shreya’s mother returned to stay with her daughter, her aunt bought a house for the mother and daughter to live together. However, within two years, her mother removed her from school without informing her aunt. She sold their house and took Shreya to Uttar Pradesh to live in her second husband’s house.
When Shreya found adjusting to her new surroundings challenging, she wished to go to her paternal aunt. With no support from her mother, she was left alone to cross state borders when she was just 12. She managed to arrive at the only place she could call home. On meeting her aunt, she couldn’t help but break down and narrate the entire incident to her. As expected, her aunt promised her shelter in her home. Despite being failed by her mother, the paternal aunt eventually bought a house for Shreya and her father to live together, hoping she would be better cared for.
Within weeks her stepbrother also started living with them in the same house. When both the father and son would get drunk, Shreya’s only solace was the days when she accompanied them to the farm to meet her paternal aunt. One night, when her aunt was away from the village for an overnight stay, her stepbrother attempted to rape her. She screamed for help and called out to her father, but he could not respond under the influence of alcohol. The following day her stepbrother ran away out of fear, and she didn’t mention anything to her father. She cooked for him and waited for him to leave for the fields. Then, she packed her bags and was on her way to her maternal aunt’s place.
“She was raped and forced into prostitution”
When she reached there, she confided in her maternal aunt about the abuse and her aunt asked her to stay back. After a couple of months of letting her visit, the maternal aunt sat Shreya down to discuss her future. Given that going back home would leave her vulnerable to abuse, her aunt suggested that she get married. On the pretext of getting married, Shreya’s maternal aunt brought her to Pune and sent her to a lodge with an unknown man. There, she was raped and forced into prostitution. Her aunt had pushed her through the very abuse she was trying to run away from. The exploitation continued until Rescue Foundation conducted a rescue operation in one of the lodges in 2018, where she was found. After immediate care and counseling, she was admitted to our shelter home.
Safe and protected, Shreya soon conquered her fears and blossomed into one of the most proactive residents of the shelter. Her free-spirited laughter, enthusiasm to learn and creative pursuits inspire not just the girls but also the staff at our shelter. She scored 78% in her 10th Standard and cleared her MSCIT exams. Today, she is not just learning but also teaching computer and other vocational skills to the shelter residents under the Ekatra project at Rescue Foundation.
Shreya dreams of becoming a lawyer, and with each passing day, she is sure that she will be able to fulfill her aspirations. She speaks of failure as another step towards success and is fearless in her seeking to try newer things. Like her, many survivors have been rescued from abuse and have found a healing space in the shelters at Rescue Foundation. We thank donors and supporters like you, who continue to stay with us on the journey to end slavery.
*Name changed to protect survivor’ identity
