From the outside, Zahir seemed to be living the perfect life. He had a successful job, a beautiful apartment and he had just got married. Behind closed doors, however, the situation was much less than ideal.

Zahir and his wife were miserable. They were constantly arguing and those arguments were beginning to escalate. Eventually, Zahir felt that the situation could not continue and he told his wife that they should consider a divorce. Her reaction was one of fury. She marched towards Zahir and pinned him against the wall, she then proceeded to put her hands around his throat and made a threat that he would never forget.

Nothing like this had ever happened between Zahir and his wife before. How was Zahir supposed to react? And how would he move on from this experience?

Alex Melia, and the Stories of Men team are on a mission to uncover what it means to live an independent and meaningful life. We'll be sharing this knowledge with you every week.

We’d like to extend our appreciation to today’s guest, Zahir. His candid, brave and moving reflections on such a sensitive topic show deep courage for which we are profoundly grateful. They also provide a vital part of the puzzle as we try to piece together what it means to be a man in today’s world.

If you have been affected by the topics covered in this episode, visit ManKind. They are an organisation which provides information, support and signposting service to men suffering from domestic abuse.

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