9 June 2006

I am from a middle class Muslim family. My husband, Amir, is 35 years old and we have a 9-year-old son. My husband is a very demanding person and I am a very withdrawn and scared person. He works as a driver. He earned enough for us to live well but he became very ill and was diagnosed as having Meningitis. He soon became bed-ridden and was brought to the SHALOM Care Centre.

While on treatment at the Centre he realized that he was also HIV positive. He was a very angry man and took out all his anger on me. He throws things at me. He does not want to talk to me. I keep quiet and take care of him. He ridicules me for my lack of confidence. He demands a lot of sex from me. Though I got myself tested a few times, thankfully I am still HIV negative.

He also showed some abnormal behavior. He just got up one day and started running away. I had to run behind him trying to catch him. Finally with the help of some people, who saw my plight and came forward to help, I managed to put him in an auto and got him back to the centre.

The SHALOM Centre people have been a source of much encouragement to me. They have been very gentle but very firm in teaching me to be a more confident person. They have taught me to go by myself to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and bring the required medicines for my husband. I am now confident enough to take him to the hospital. My husband and his family are beginning to respect me a lot more now and that is a great achievement.

We need your prayer support. My husband needs to come to terms with himself, and deal with his anger.

Pray

Pray for reconciliation, for peace and for mutual respect for each other. Pray for my protection and also pray that my health will continue to be good so I can take care of our son. Thank you.

Learn more

• To learn more about the remarkable ministry of Shalom Centre, please visit www.shalomdelhi.org.
• To learn about SIM ministries to AIDS infected and affected people in other countries, please visit www.hopeforaids.org
.