'I'm a Warrior' — Priya's Story (Chai With Sahelis: A Desi Dost Project)
This audio project is the first of a three-part series for October’s Domestic Violence month, supported by the USC Center for Health Journalism in partnership with Desi Collective, Narika and India Currents.
Other stories include:
Part 2: “It’s Not Just A Thappad” – Rennu’s Story – Chai With Sahelis: A Desi Dost Project
Part 3: “Don’t Take My Child From Me” – Anjali Kour’s Story – Chai With Sahelis: A Desi Dost Project
How Priya Won A Second Chance At Her American Dream: A Story of Transnational Abandonment
How Anjali Got Her Son Back: A Story of Transnational Abandonment & Child Custody
The Desi Dost Project: Impact Reporting At India Currents
Why Riya Didn’t Find A Safe Space From Intergenerational Violence
Beaten, But Not Broken. Tanya’s Story Of Domestic Violence
My Daughter Was Kidnapped & I Did Not See Her For 22 Years – Leena’s Story
Abused and Abandoned – When will our community step up to help survivors?
Priya is a fiercely independent software engineer who married a man her parents found for her. Her husband, an H1B worker in Silicon Valley’s tech sector, abused and abandoned his new bride in their first year of marriage. Priya lost everything: home, career, confidence, and her H4 visa status.
In the struggle to reinvent her life, Priya discovered resilience and purpose. “Don’t give survivors advice they didn’t ask for,” she says. “We just need love and support.”
“I’m A Warrior” is about Priya’s drive and courage in fighting for her rights.
Her story is nearly at a (happy) end. The first of a three-part series for October’s Domestic Violence month, the story is part of a unique storytelling project “Chai with Sahelis,” where survivors from the Indian American (desi) community share deeply personal stories about their experience living with and surviving domestic violence. This three-part series for October’s Domestic Violence month, is supported by the USC Center for Health Journalism in partnership with Desi Collective, Narika and India Currents.
[This article was originally published by India Currents.]