There is always some ugly truth about our lives that we like to lock up in a dungeon deep down as coping mechanism. But these seemingly tiny wounds fester into ghastly voids that need to be emancipated for healing to take over. Physical abuse is that elephant in the room that still gets brushed under the carpet. Because despite the empathy it has garnered on a global level, the fear of being judged and misunderstood is rampant till date. The most heartbreaking part is that in most cases it comes from someone who we blindly trust our safety and well-being with. I was assaulted on more than one occasion in 2010 by my ex-boyfriend post a bitter breakup. After years of persistent mental and emotional abuse, I finally gathered the courage to end things and that did not go down well with his ego. I was punished for my audacity so severely that the bruises and clots took more than two weeks to fade. This was followed by an elaborate, almost diabolical smear campaign in public places as well as on social media. I was bullied/ intimidated by his family and friends followed by rape and death threats in his own words. To make matters worse I got no real support from my own family during this harrowing period. But somehow I went through with it using a temporary bandage over my impaired confidence & self esteem, assuming it was dead and buried when it was far from over. I struggled with PTSD, depression and eating disorder for years until I came to a realization that I wasn’t giving my healing the attention it required. I’ve had peers and friends tell me to my face to ‘just get over it’. One of the most absurd ‘rationalizing’ statement that came from someone close was that he probably succumbed to such actions because he loved me too much! All these ever changing yet distorted views made me question my own sanity. As a result I developed a toxic codependent attitude that I’m fiercely fighting now more than ever. Victims or Survivors, whatever you choose to call us, we aren’t telling our stories for sympathy, attention or to be a part of some bedroom gossip. We are speaking our reality out because every story deserves to be heard. Truth be told, it is nothing but utterly terrifying to stand naked in the face of a world that is constantly dismissing your spirit. This is a testament to the girl who I used to be before the October of ‘10. Having said that, the metamorphosis and unveiling of who she was always meant to become has been so splendid, she wouldn’t have it any other way.