A Call That Returned After Seven Years: Tara and Khushi’s Story

During an ASAP Organizational Development (OD) Training conducted by EMPOWER PEOPLE in Kurukshetra, a deeply personal story surfaced one that revealed how connection, courage, and solidarity can quietly exist even in the most constrained circumstances.

Two Sakhi Netas, Tara and Khushi, realized during the training that they had once been connected seven years ago through a single phone call. At the time, they were strangers. Today, they sit together as women leaders, shaping safer pathways for others.

Tara’s Journey: Three Marriages, No Choice

Tara is originally from Bihar. She shared that she was married three times, and in each instance, money was exchanged without her consent. Each marriage was arranged through intermediaries, and her agency was repeatedly taken away.

During her second marriage, Tara was taken to Haryana. On the first day, she was treated with care. From the very next day, she was confined inside a small room, along with her young daughter from her first marriage.

Tara soon realized that her husband was mentally unwell. When she expressed her wish to return home, her situation worsened. She was denied food, taken out only to perform household labour, and constantly threatened especially with harm to her daughter if she spoke about leaving.

One Wrong Number, One Moment of Trust

One day, Tara asked for a phone, saying she needed to call home. The number she dialled was incorrect. Instead, her call reached Khushi, who was living in Panipat.

Khushi initially informed her that it was a wrong number. But when she heard Tara crying, she paused and asked what had happened.

Tara shared that she and her daughter were being confined and forcibly kept in a house in Haryana, that she was not given food, and that she wanted to return home. She asked Khushi for help.

Khushi listened carefully. She asked where Tara was calling from, but Tara did not know the exact location. Khushi tried to support her by sharing police helpline numbers and encouraging her to seek immediate help. Before Tara could take any further step, the phone was taken away by her in-laws.

Threats, Isolation, and Sudden Remarriage

After that call, Khushi tried to contact Tara multiple times. At one point, Tara’s brother-in-law answered and threatened Khushi, instructing her never to call again. Her number was soon blocked. Tara was threatened and isolated further. Soon after, without explanation or consent, she was married again and taken to another household.

Tara shared that everything happened so quickly that she had no time to understand or resist what was unfolding. Promises were made that she would be treated well and allowed to return home but those promises were never fulfilled. To this day, Tara has not been able to return to her parental home, and her daughter continues to live without security or recognition.

Khushi’s Memory: Wanting to Help, Not Knowing How

Khushi shared that she remembered the call clearly. She wanted to help to intervene and reach out to authorities but without knowing Tara’s location, she did not know how to proceed.

She spoke to her family about “a sister from Bihar” who was being forcibly kept. She tried calling repeatedly, but the calls went unanswered or were blocked.

For years, Khushi carried the memory of that call of a woman asking for help, and the helplessness of not being able to reach her.

Meeting Again as Sakhi Netas

Seven years later, during the ASAP OD training space, pieces of the story slowly connected. Through shared conversations, Tara and Khushi realized that they were the same women from that call years ago.

This time, they were not isolated or unheard.

Today, both Tara and Khushi are Sakhi Netas women leaders within their communities who support others facing exclusion, confinement, and forced marriages. Their meeting stands as a reminder that even small acts of listening can carry meaning across years.

Why This Story Matters

This story highlights:

• How women are moved across states through forced and deceptive marriages

• How confinement and control are normalized within households

• How limited access to phones, information, and support systems isolates women

• How women’s solidarity, even in brief moments, can leave lasting traces

At EMPOWER PEOPLE, we believe that strengthening survivor leadership and community networks creates spaces where such stories are no longer hidden and where support does not depend on chance.

From a Missed Call to Shared Strength

Seven years ago, a phone call could not change Tara’s situation.

Today, that same call has returned as a shared memory one that speaks of resilience, connection, and the quiet power of women standing together.

Note: Names have been changed and photographs have been converted into paintings to protect privacy.