Survivor to Saviour…

I was in my first-year of college when mother Teresa passed away. I was so influenced by her life and work, that I decided to join her missionaries of charity and dedicate my life to serving others. All the paperwork was done, but just at the last moment, my mother got weak. At that time an American Missionary family who was running a children’s home were our family friends. They suggested I volunteer in their children’s home and serve. I accepted the offer and joined that children’s home as a stock keeper and purchasing officer. This Children’s Home supported more than 300 children from leprosy background. It was founded in the year 1932 so they had boys and girls of all ages. When I started working, I was supposed to hand over groceries every evening at 8 pm from the store to the kitchen for the next day’s meal. It was June 23rd that I went about it as normal. The store was in a secluded place behind a mango orchard. While passing through I saw the male warden raping an early teenage girl. He also saw me.    I was a young girl of 19. I got scared, very scared!  But since I was a bit bold since my childhood, I went to check on her and help her. I brought her to the manager’s house. The manager and his family were very pleasant and nice. I reported the incident to him. He assured me that they will take action. The warden was a married man a father of a son. Soon he was terminated from his duties and no police complaint was made against him as this was the matter of the reputation of the home.

Anyways a year passed, and life was back to normal…

One day, again, I was going through the same area for the same work. Suddenly I was dragged towards a double story building from behind by two men. I was blindfolded. Once reached the building, they bashed my head on the wall several times and tried to make me unconscious. I didn’t know what was happening. And I was unconscious, I don’t know what happened. When I opened my eyes, I was in the hospital. The manager found me near that building with my head bleeding and an eye out of the socket. I had a compound fracture on my left thigh. I was hospitalised for three months.

 Then I came home. Everyone took it as an accident. It was then I found out that I was pregnant. I mean just no periods. I never went to any doctor during my pregnancy. You may not believe it but till daughter was born, my family and neighbours did not know that I was pregnant. With each day passing, I was in turmoil as to what I should do. Everyone thought I was gaining weight. Soon I started having movements. To date, I did not know how I got pregnant. But you know time had to come.. It came.

March 28th, I left my house to kill myself. I felt God was not with me it’s useless to live and make my child’s life hell. I moved to another city. I had one thing in mind, if God is with me he will open a way. Otherwise, I will kill myself. My family would have been in a panic, but here I was standing by the side of a road in a new city. I was wearing some gold. I thought I will sell it if I get any shelter. Then I will consult a doctor. Get the delivery done and tell my parents that they have to accept me with my child.

I saw a board of a nursing home on a billboard. Was this a sign?

I went there. The doctor was not available. An MR who was there saw me. He made a calculated guess as to my problem. He came asked me if he could drop me anywhere. He also suggested that if I need a shelter, to go to the nearest girls hostel. He gave me the address. I left the nursing home and knocked on the first door I found. I told my situation. They were Sikh family. The aunty took me in and said they are there for me. They gave me food and a place to sleep. This was God’s plan. The next day, they took me to the Nursing Home. The doctor said it was time and it would have to be a  cesarian. I  was admitted and my beautiful daughter was born on the 31st. All bills paid by this family for an absolute stranger!

They then informed my parents. My family was in trauma. They didn’t know what happened. But they came took me back home.

The manager at the home was informed and he helped me as he suspected the warden. DNA testing was done and it matched the warden. But again, no complaint was registered as he left his wife and agreed to marry me…the scoundrel! My father was a simple man. We had not much money to afford to fight a case with no support. People suggested marriage to the rapist was my best option.

Then my father n mother took me to another state. I completed my studies and did all kinds of jobs as I had to raise my daughter.

I completed my PhD in psychology I opted for psychology after being a science student to heal myself. And here I am now. Now, I hope the people work with understand why I cannot control myself to help others like this. I have boundaries. If that lady had not helped a stranger like me, I would have been dead. So, I stand for my cause with every human being in need.  I am now that lady and I am in a position to save others and will do so always.