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“One day, when I was only 10 years old, I came home and saw my mother bleeding from the forehead. My father had hit her so bad that I could see her skull. She was lying unconscious and my father was sleeping.

In my family we are 6 sisters, 2 brothers and my mom. My father used to drink a lot and would beat my mother. He would spend all money on alcohol. He actually wanted a boy. When my younger sister was born, my father had a very bad fight with my mother. My relatives suggested that we should sell my sister. But my mother was completely against it and stood her ground.

When my father tried to beat my elder sister, she held his hand and said he will not hit her children from now on. We have seen a lot, we have suffered things, but I have decided not to bear it any longer. After that, my mother got the courage to ask my father to leave the house and told him not to come back. It has been 16 years now; Papa has not come home.

He was so angry he broke everything in the house and sold it. He did not leave any items inside the house; not even a bed to sleep. As a child I was a very quiet girl but I was smart. My uncle used to touch me inappropriately, I could not speak, I felt choked. When I told my mother, she ignored it. Then I joined FAT. I got know that there are different types of touches and what has been happening with me all these years is a bad touch and can be termed sexual harassment. After that I started speaking to him and told him all this is wrong, I do not like it. I learned many things with FAT. I started speaking for myself. People would call me a spoiled girl. Is it wrong for me to decide for myself?

Earlier, I didn't know much about roads, routes and metro. One of the program staff at FAT would encourage me to go and see how things are. One day, I had to go to get a tripod from Chandni Chowk. I had zero clue about the route because I never left the house. I asked people on my way- where to get metro tokens, which metro to take. Eventually I got the tripod! When I came to the office, people asked, was I scared. I said yes, but from that day I also got a boost. When I saw the computer for the first time in FAT, I would think what if I damage it? How will I use it? But when I used to come to the Tech Center, my comfort level increased for handling the technical equipment.

When we would use a camera for videography, people would look at us in astonishment. Because everyone believes women can’t use a camera! I joined the Level-3 programme in FAT because I want to work on the behavioural thinking of people. Whatever violence happened in my house; it is happening outside also. But after Level-3 I want to work with Peer Support and Community support. Because the girls of the community should support each other. They must have a collective feeling of intervening when they see something wrong happening to their friend.

Narrated by Anjali Sharma, Young Women Leader from Level-3 Collectivisation at FAT(Delhi). #KnowOurLeader is a series of stories about our Young Women Leaders.

Written by Almas Naseem

Edited by Priyanka Sarkar