Growing up in a traditional Indian family in Canada, I was suffocated by gender biases and manipulation from a young age. By grade 6, I began to see the extent of my parents' control and abuse, which intensified when I was confined at home at age 15 for having a boyfriend. Forced to conform to oppressive traditions that valued girls only as commodities for marriage, I was stripped of my education, childhood, and future. At 16, I was coerced into an arranged marriage and further manipulated into raising my older sister’s abandoned children. The trauma was profound, culminating in a suicide attempt at 15. Yet, amid the darkness, I found a spark of determination to break free from these shackles. My journey of self-discovery led me to challenge these norms and reclaim my autonomy. Will I emerge stronger and more empowered, a beacon of hope for others facing similar challenges?