Tejaswi Madivada has always worn her heart on her sleeve. While she was in a relationship for a few years, she claimed then to never really consider marriage. But post her stint in Bigg Boss Season 2, the actress decided to walk down the aisle last year. But destiny had other ideas.“His family wanted me to quit acting and delete what they thought were the weird-looking photos, and possibly the accounts from social media,” she reveals. “Although I was a little surprised, I was quite prepared to do that to start a fresh life after marriage. Moreover, my partner wanted me to listen to his parents initially so that adjustments could be made later.”Tejaswi talks about how excited she was about getting a new family to call her own. But there were too many reservations expressed by her partner’s family, which she realised she couldn’t cope with. “I was game to do whatever they wanted to, but at one point, I realised that I was quitting being myself. I thought I was losing my identity. I felt my sacrifices had no validations. They were not accepting me for the person I am and the way I express myself. I felt disheartened and decided not to stay on,” she laments.She then talks about how she feels there’s hardly any respect for women who stand up for what they want.“Just because I belong to the film industry, people should not be judgemental. I overcame all the casting couches and stood out strongly as an independent woman. I felt they did not respect my struggle; we need to be respected for what we are,” she explains. However, the heartbreak hasn’t left her bitter.When we ask her if she still believes in love, Tejaswi says, “Very much. One incident should not change our belief towards love. I am hoping that I will get the right way.” Determined to take things in her stride, Tejaswi started to dig deep for happiness. Even as she wondered what life has in store for her, a Scuba diving trip to Thailand changed her perspective in life.
