When I was fifteen, I met the man who would become my future husband. My family owned a hotel, and he worked as a delivery driver for a company that made deliveries there. We started as friends, but soon, our friendship turned into love.

One day, my friends planned a trip to Mankamana Temple, and I went with them. I didn't know he was coming too. It was the first time I met him outside of my home, and I was so happy to see him. But that moment didn't last long. My brother, who was a policeman, saw us together. He took us to his office and started asking lots of questions.

At the police station, I confessed my love for my boyfriend. He said he would marry me right then, but I turned him down because I wanted to continue my studies. He insisted he would take me with him no matter what. Our families were called together, but his family refused to accept me. The situation was very tense. I thought that if I went home without a husband, people would talk badly about me and call me a bad girl. So, I agreed to go with him.

We went to Butuwal and started living there. After three months, my father-in-law came to take us back home and get married. Everyone accepted us. After the marriage, I couldn't continue my studies. I got pregnant at sixteen and had to have surgery to give birth. Life changed forever after having a child.

I regretted getting married so young and not finishing my education. Now, I can't get a job even though I want to. I feel stuck in my life. I don't want the same for my daughter, so I encourage her to do well in her studies. No matter what, I will support her because I don't want her to have the same life as me. I always tell young girls to focus on their education. Education is the most important thing in life”. Dipa Bhandari,Chitwan