Escaping from Monstrous Marriage | Domestic Violence | Resilience

Luvena Rangel married in 2002 and moved to Dubai, hoping to build a family and a new life. Instead, she says she endured years of financial control, isolation and physical abuse. She remained in the marriage while raising her children, believing that she could somehow make it work. In 2018, the violence reached a breaking point when her husband attacked her with a cricket bat in front of their daughter. Luvena went to the police station and filed an FIR. She then left the family home with her three children and two dogs and separated from her husband. She later filed for divorce, but the proceedings remain ongoing. Rebuilding her life was neither quick nor easy. Drawing on her background in medicine, holistic health and yoga, Luvena founded The Curvy Yogi, an initiative promoting body-positive and accessible yoga. She also serves as the State President of the Karnataka Yoga Council. Luvena’s journey is one of survival, self-belief and the determination to reclaim a life that violence had nearly taken away.