It just took her a violent argument to realize, she was 'homeless'. 1/many

Shama stepped out of ‘his’ house and had nowhere to go. Suddenly, she was homeless. “Yes, they are right when they say that home is the only place where a woman should feel safe.” Shama couldn’t think of anything but her homelessness. 2/many

But it also brings new hopes. The best among them is hope for life with dignity. Shama wanted to bring a little bit of happiness out of what she was experiencing, while looking at the empty cup of chai that she just fished drinking at the street cafe.
3/many

This country feels safe. Like home. Shama was sitting in the cafe for hours now and no one asked her to leave or stared at her when she would start sobbing. Though, she would look at herself, she had left home without any of her belongings. 4/many

She just got her handbag and a scarf to cover her face so she has something to soak her tears with. Manchester City social services had asked her to wait in the café. She was waiting for them to arrive. Her only hope to be safe. 5/many

This morning was unusual. More violent than Shama`s husband Aftab usual violent mood. Aftab settled in the UK some eight years back. He was from Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan but got asylum in the as an Afghan refugee. 6/many

This morning Aftab dragged her out of the house. He wanted her to get lost. She too, wanted to go away as far as he possible to escape this abuse. He dragged her out with surety that she will come back to him. Afterall, Pashtun women do not leave their husband until death.
7/many

That’s when the thought of her mother hit her head really hard and she started sobbing again, voicelessly once again. Her mother would refuse to eat anything and would find refuge in her bed when her father would beat her up. 8/many

It was a random practice that she saw often growing up. But right now, Shama could just see it from a different angle. From a personal angle. Her mother was a homeless woman. She didn’t have anywhere to go. She had to stay. 9/9