On the surface, Tarini’s family was like any other. Middle class working parents in a not so well-to-do locality in Delhi. But behind closed doors, there was a darkness. Tarini’s father would frequently hit her mother. Her childhood was chaotic and violent. Her mother endured all the beatings in the hope of a better future for Tarini.
When Tarini reached adolescence, her father started turning on her. He would touch her inappropriately. At the age of 17, her father raped Tarini. The tenuous grip she had maintained on hopes for a better future seemed to loosen with that.
Tarini’s mother was the one who filed a complaint against her father for the sexual abuse. The father was arrested but soon he died while in custody. Tarini who had already been battling trauma, now also felt guilty. When parents turn out to be abusers, it is a very confusing time for the child, who feels responsible for the abusive parent’s behaviour somehow. At the same time, they battle with feelings of abandonment. Tarini felt lost and began to withdraw. She would shut herself up in a room and barely talk to anyone.
Around this time, Tarini’s mother lost her job and in the absence of regular income, she could not afford Tarini’s education. Tarini also met with an accident which further traumatised her and added to her isolation.
CSJ has been working with Tarini since January 2019. We first decided to work on building her confidence and getting her out of the trauma. Our staff gained her trust and provided her consistent counselling to help her overcome her fears and sense of isolation. Slowly, she started opening up and her feelings of isolation disappeared. She was confident enough to interact with others.
The legal help provided by CSJ helped in getting her education back on track. Tarini was granted an interim compensation of 75000 rupees and a further compensation of 10000 rupees, which helped paying her education and health expenses.
Life gradually turned around for Tarini. Her mother found a job with a cab aggregator and Tarini managed to resume her studies, enrolling in a Digital Marketing course. She began to express herself and began hoping and dreaming once again. She wrote out her dreams for the future in an award-winning essay ‘Mere Sapne’ (My Dreams). Tarini says she wants to someday become a lawyer so she can help those like her.
CSJ is glad to have played a part in helping Tarini dream again. We wish her the absolute best for her future.
To help CSJ in supporting 250 children who have suffered sexual abuse, click here