“My husband abandoned me after I gave birth”: How this woman is rebuilding her life one step at a time after losing almost everything

"My husband abandoned me after I gave birth." When Megha Patel says these words today, she says them without anger. The tears have mostly dried, the wounds are there but healed, and life is slowly yet moving forward.

But the story behind that one sentence stretches across years of love, family opposition, pregnancy, heartbreak and survival. Because there was a time when Megha believed she had found the person who would never leave her side. And there was a time when becoming a mother almost cost her everything.

The happiness that didn’t last long

In a conversation with TOI Women, Megha says she and her ex-husband met through a common friend, “ We started talking, and gradually became close.”

They dated for almost a year and a half. Megha recalls, "We clicked very well." But even during those early years, one concern kept returning. His family.According to Megha, her partner often told her that his family would never agree to the marriage because they belonged to different castes. "He would tell me, 'My mother will never allow this marriage.'" For some time, the relationship even came to an end."I had clearly told him that I would not stay with you without marriage," Megha says speaking to TOI Women.

Months later, he returned. "He kept telling me that he would do anything to marry me. He kept requesting me to trust him," says Megha. Finally, they got married. But acceptance never really arrived.

"I told him I don't want involvement with the family"

Even before the wedding, Megha says she knew that his family disapproved of the relationship. "They used to say that because I belong to a different caste, this marriage cannot happen." "I told him clearly that I would only marry him if I didn't have to get involved with the family because they were very disrespectful towards me," recalls Megha.The initial months of marriage seemed peaceful. "We were happy. At least I thought we were." Megha was working as a manager in a company and trying to build a life with her husband. Soon, she became pregnant.

"Don't tell anybody she is pregnant"

When her husband informed his family about the pregnancy, Megha expected at least a phone call. Instead, she says they asked him to keep it a secret. "They told him, 'Don't tell anyone that she is pregnant. We don't want people to know,'" she recalls to TOI Women.The reaction disturbed her. "I kept asking my husband, 'What kind of ego is this? Their daughter-in-law is pregnant and nobody is speaking to me.'" According to Megha, her husband suggested that they visit his family and seek their acceptance. "He told me, 'Let's go and request them.'" But Megha refused. "I told him very clearly, 'I will never beg anyone to accept me or my child.'"The disagreements between the couple slowly increased.

Still, Megha believed things would improve.

"Why did you post your marriage photos?"

In June, his family suddenly invited them home. "They said, 'Please come.'" When they went there, a new problem started. "They started asking me, 'Why did you put your marriage photographs on social media? Why did you tell people about the marriage?'" says Megha.Her mother-in-law allegedly argued with her for almost an hour. "I kept getting this strange feeling that they wanted to hide the marriage."

Soon after, another disagreement emerged.The family wanted Megha to deliver her child at a hospital on the outskirts of Ahmedabad where one of their relatives worked. "I live in the city. Why would I go somewhere far away at such a time?" she says. The issue created fresh tension inside the family. The atmosphere inside the house became increasingly stressful.

The day that was a bit scary for her

One day, Megha noticed that her baby had stopped moving. The doctors immediately became concerned.

"I told the doctor that I was uncomfortable where I was staying." According to Megha, the doctor directly told her husband, "Please change her environment. This is becoming dangerous for both the mother and the baby." "He asked me why I had mentioned his parents," Megha tells TOI Women.

"I realised something was changing"

Around this time, Megha says she noticed small changes in her husband's behaviour. He became distant. And one day, she noticed that photos from their marriage had disappeared from social media.

"I kept asking myself why all this was happening." The emotional stress became overwhelming. She was nearing delivery. Her health was becoming fragile.

"I was standing outside my own home"

A few days before her delivery, Megha returned to their rented apartment. What she found there is a memory she says she can never forget. "I saw that the lock had been changed." She immediately called her husband. "I asked him, 'Did you change the lock?' He said yes and told me he was busy."She was pregnant and standing outside her own house. Alone. "I cannot explain what I felt." She approached the police for help. According to Megha, she was told, "This is a family matter." Later, when police officers spoke to her husband, they reportedly advised him to stay with his wife during her pregnancy. But the situation did not improve. "I was crying continuously that day."

"They told me I might never walk normally"

The days that followed became the most difficult period of her life.

She underwent a C-section. Her husband came briefly to the hospital and left. "He said he would return." The next day, she gave birth to her son. Soon afterwards, her health deteriorated. "I had a heart attack. My body became cold." Then a more tragic event followed, a room heater fell on her foot. “I was given anesthesia so I didn’t feel the sensation instantly. No one around noticed as well for about 10 minutes. My foot got 3rd degree burns,” Megha said.Doctors eventually informed her that the main tendon responsible for walking had been removed. "They told me I might never walk normally." She remembers looking at the doctor with tears in her eyes. "I said, 'Main apne bachche ki single parent hoon. Usko chalna main hi sikhaungi. Chahe jo ho, main khud chalungi bina support ke,'" says Megha.She underwent five surgeries. There were nights when the pain became unbearable.

Even today, she says the pain remains.

"I looked at my baby and something changed inside me"

After regaining consciousness, Megha called her husband. He arrived. So did his family. According to Megha, her father-in-law refused to hold the child. "He said, 'This is a love marriage child. I will not touch him.'" “My mother-in-law told my husband to go home, freshen up and then come back later. He left. It was the 7th of July 2025. I haven't seen him since then,” recalls Megha.

"There was a time when I begged him to come back. I even told him, 'Divorce me if you want, but keep the child because every child needs a father.'" He never returned. He did not contribute towards the treatment, delivery or medical expenses.

Today, she is rebuilding her life

For some time, Megha says she felt broken. Then she looked at her son. "I looked at my baby and something changed inside me." Friends helped her survive. One friend supported her financially.

She rented a small apartment and found an online job. Slowly, she rebuilt her life. "Ab kisi ke pair nahi padhne. Kisi ke liye nahi karungi. Sab apne bacche ke liye karungi," says Megha.Today, Megha has a stable job. She shares her experiences on social media and speaks openly about single motherhood. "I rebuilt myself from thousands of broken pieces just so I could hold my baby stronger. One day, I want my child to be proud of his strong mother."Megha’s story reminds us that what remains after everything else disappears is not the abandonment, not the heartbreak, but the quiet determination of a woman who decided that if nobody else would stay, she would stay for her child.