When Survivors Speak (And Reporters Listen)

In the Chitrakoot district of Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh, 18-year-old Roshni stares into the camera with a grim face. Her expression gives senior reporter Nazni Rizvi an indication of her story before they have even begun their conversation. Having been married for a year, Roshni now lives with her parents, two brothers and three sisters in Chakhaun village. When asked about her situation, her calm tone changes to one of anger as she reveals the abuse she had to endure from her in-laws. “They (in-laws) used to hit me every day and kept demanding a car. They hadn’t made this demand at the time of our wedding,” she says, referring to the practice of dowry banned more than six decades ago.