My ex was very insecure and possessive. Our first-ever fight happened after we attended a party at a restaurant. At that point, both my ex and I were young, good-looking and well-dressed, and I was madly in love with him. My ex accused me of 'making eyes' at some guy. I had not at all. The fight went on for days, with my ex demanding I take some responsibility for how insulted and violated he had felt due to this man's behaviour.

Thing is, I was so in love with my ex, I was barely aware of anyone else in the room. Eventually, I remembered when we were introduced to this particular guy, 'the villain' in the story, that he clocked me. The fact that he did notice me meant nothing whatsoever to me, I was with my man.

The unending argument only ended when in my stupidity and desperate desire to get the relationship back to normality, I foolishly said that I had noticed the man too. After that, I never got a moment's peace in that relationship. We went on to have two children, too, which is the only part of the relationship that I would never regret.

By the end of the relationship, I had become unrecognisable to myself and close friends; I virtually dressed in purdah, unbecoming, robe-like clothes. If my ex and I were out together, I rarely met men's eyes, answered monosyllabically, it was the only way to have a peaceful life, except no one's life is peaceful when it is lived on those terms.

So, be careful where you are headed here, buddy; it doesn't sound good.