You tiptoe to the door of your room, careful not to make any sound. The sound of gagging that you had heard a minute ago is gone now and the house has again descended in ominous silence.

Language is a powerful tool to identify, stand up against, and get out of the loop of domestic abuse. We need to pay more attention to the IFs and BUTs we use in what we say.

A woman waiting for her lover to see her, recognise her, come to her. And now, waiting for the lover-turned-ex. Why? 

From the neighbour's aunt, to well meaning strangers, I have received bizarre advice about how I should lead my life, now that I'm a divorcee and single mom.

Movies reflect life and life reflects movies. The movie Roja gave me the strength to follow my heart and do what I had to. I consider her a feminist icon.