My parents had tried to kill me. This was about 4 years ago.
4 years back, my parents suggested me to get a thyroid test. They disliked the way I looked because of the weight and colour of my skin.
๐๐ฉ๐บ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ง๐ข๐ต? ๐๐ฐ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ข ๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ? ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐ฌ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด๐ฏ‘๐ต ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ. ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข๐ช๐ณ…
This was already depressing. However, this was the least. Hell set loose when I reached the hospital.
โTake off your clothesโ โ the doctor had asked me. Why on earth one needs to do that for a thyroid test! This was shocking. It was then he revealed that my parents doubted my gender and sexuality. They had asked the doctor to do a thorough checking. Embarrassed, I had to strip down before him so that he could check my private parts. He had checked them and informed my parents that I was okay. This had shaken me to the core as I always wanted to tell them about my sexuality myself. But they learning about me from a stranger, was a huge let down for me.
ย I had never said my parents that I was performing as a drag artist in a cafรฉ. Some of my friends knew and thanks to them my parents came to know as well! They had sent them my photos and videos from the drag events. After that, I was beaten like hell.
After returning from the doctor, the torture hadnโt stopped. They house arrested me; abused me physically and verbally. They took away my phone. Then I was taken to one so-called famous hospital in Hyderabad for psychological treatment and the hospital chairperson said that I should be treated with gender therapy for 2.5 lakhs. He had also added that I was going to stay in hospital for 7 days without having any contact with my parents and the outside world. They said gender therapy would straighten me. But after being admitted there, I ran away and came back home to be beaten again.
It was then I decided; either I wanted to live or die. I can clearly recall I left my home at midnight, locking the doors from outside, and moved to my partnerโs place. This had happened during the time of demonetization. I had no cash, I only had my cards. I was wearing a shirt, half trousers and a pair of slippers when I had left.
Two years passed until my parents called me. โYour mother is ill. You should see herโ โ guess what? It was a lie! The moment I reached my parentโs place I got into a fight. Then my parents asked around 30-40 people to come over. They surrounded me and started beating me. They did this as per my parentโs instruction. I was beaten to a pulp. My leg was broken. โDecide โ want to live with us or die?โ โ my parents had asked. Well, I chose the third. I WANT TO LIVE FOR MYSELF.
Then I ran to the main road shouting for help. The onlookers didnโt come forward. A police patrolling van was passing by and looking at the commotion it stopped to look into the matter. I begged the police to rescue me and drop me off at my home or at least drop me somewhere in the midway. As my father also was in the police, my parents managed the situation and the police declined to help, saying they didnโt interfere in the family matter. As when they were talking to my parents, I managed to escape from there. From then, I never returned home again.
Soon, I filed a petition in Telangana High court for my police protection, and the judge granted it. I was even suggested to take action against my parents but I never wanted my parents to be harassed. I knew that one FIR could ruin my fatherโs career. So, I didn’t take action but went on to live life on my own terms.
Today, my life is a lot different from what it used to be. As difficult as it was initially, especially with no experience, I became a drag artist. The credit for this goes to my friend, Sastry. Had it not been for her persistence, neither would have I come this far, nor the concept of drag culture would have reached Hyderabad. When I began working, I have had mixed experiences as the environment was sometimes homophobic. I now work at Humsafar Trust. Besides, I run a foundation called โMobberaโ for the LGBT community.
From a handful of people telling me that โYou look like Ravan! You look like a Devil!โ I now only hear hundreds of them watching my performance and saying, โWow, youโre amazing!โ The world now knows me as Nutty Savitri. In each and every step of this journey, I had, and still have one person beside me – my partner. Soon, we will not just celebrate 7 years of our togetherness but will also be getting married to each other!
Total Work Experience : 4 Years (Amazon, Synchrony, Humsafar Trust)