Photographer Shivani Srivastava is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this social documentary photography.  From her project ‘Talaq – Story Untold‘. To see Shivani’s gallery of photographs click on any image.

 

 

Triple Talaq is a form of divorce practiced in India, whereby a Muslim man can legally divorce his wife by pronouncing talaq (the Arabic word for divorce) three times.

 

 

Ruby Khan, 35 years old, is a victim of Triple Talaq, originally from a remote village Khagariya in Bihar.  She settled in Delhi.  Ruby was divorced by her husband because she was unable to give a male child in the family after having 5 daughters.

 

"... a woman should remain in the house while the man goes out to earn money and feed his family." 

 

Abandoned by her husband in late 90’s, with 5 daughters in Delhi. She was a timid soul and shy and had never stepped out of the house as she was always taught by her mother, rather made her believe  that a woman should remain in the house while the man goes out to earn money and feed his family.

 

“… she thought about her little angels and decided that she will live for them and will raise them as better human beings without her husband’s support.”

 

But when she was left alone in the middle of the crowded city of Delhi, with starving children on her side and  unable to understand what just happened to her. Ruby was uneducated and unskilled, at one point she thought of committing suicide, she thought about her little angels and decided that she will live for them and will raise them as better human beings without her husband’s support.

 

 

Ruby needed a dwelling and she decided to sell coal in the local market.  Unable to feed her children after a month she realized that was not enough money for survival. Stressed and full of grief she stood up again and began to communicate with the females in her locality.  Ruby decided to become a cook and with the support of her landlord she got her first job.

With magic in her hand she is cooking in 7 different houses and saviour for alot of bachelors by serving them mouth watering food.

 

Rubina’s dress for Eid , 15 years old, studying in the 10th standard in government school and the creative child of the house.

 

Zeenat, 17 Years old, a Shahrukh Khan Fan.
Suffering from Autism and bullied by school girls. Zeenat left school to stay home cooking and helping her mother.

 

Simran drying her school dress for next day.
13 years old, studying in 7th standard, aspires to become a teacher and work in the local slums.

 

Gazala, 19 years old, married in 2015 and expecting her first baby in November.

 

Shaheen sleeping after school in a summer afternoon. She is 11 years old, studying in 7th Standard, aspires to join the police force and the naughtiest one among all Ruby’s daughters.

 

See also:

Albums

By Shivani Srivastava

 


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