She wanted to come out of relationship: Shraddha’s friend

Jaipur: As the nation is still in shock at brutal murder of Shraddha Walkar allegegedly by her live-in partner Aaftab Poonawalla, First India had an exclusive interview with Shraddha’s friend Rajat Shukla who shared chilling details about the relationship between Aaftab and Shraddha, and the likely intentions behind the gruesome killing.
The excerpts:
 How was Shraddha as a student, theater artist and a friend?
I was in regular touch with Shraddha from 2015 to 18 during college. We both were pursuing Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Media (BMM) from Viva College in Virar, Mumbai. She was a very active girl with a bold personality, and was bluntly honest. She was also into theater and we did perform some acts together as well. She would always take part in college programme as a dancer, artiste. It was in 2018 when things started looking bad at Shraddha’s end. She would not talk much, and would stay alone.

 Do you think Aaftab was in touch with other girls than Shraddha?
Aaftab was also seeing other women behind Shraddha’s back. I am informed and pretty sure too that he was seen on his ‘intruder’ bike with other girls as a pillion. And would be jealous and insecure if Shraddha even hung out with her friends. (Shraddha last talked to Rajat in 2019 when they gave an exam together. But as per Rajat, Shraddha’s behavior was totally different). “She was very rude, and wouldn’t talk straight. She was totally different from the Shraddha I met in college. Rajat said that in the year 2021, she was in contact with her best friend from college. Shraddha then showed her friend that her back was stubbed out with cigarette burns.

 If any of common friends knew or were in touch with Aaftab?
There are many friends of Shraddha who were in regular and close contact with Aaftab. He never seemed like a person who would have such an extreme criminal mindset. People got negative vibes, but it was general. No one thought of him to be this extreme. Aaftab likely came with an agenda, otherwise why would his family leave the house they were staying in for years right before this horrifying news broke out?

 How was Shraddha’s relationship with her parents?
During college, she would stay at home. She wasn’t a hosteller. She was close to her mom but not to her dad. 1.5 years back, when her mother died, Shraddha was in a very vulnerable state. She was trying her best to get out of the relationship but couldn’t because of threats from Aaftab. In fact in 2021, when things went really hayway, she sought help from her manager. The manager then sent his/her friend to Shraddha’s house to take Shraddha to hospital as well as the police station. The manager’s friend knew Shradha and Aaftab both as they lived in the same locality. When they were trying to file a complaint at the police station, Aaftab called and threatened her saying that he will end his life and Shraddha, her parents would be blamed. I just know of one instance, there might be many.

 Was Shraddha a girl who’d pressure someone to marry her?
I’m hundred percent sure that Shraddha did not pressurize Aaftab for marriage. No one has said this except for Aaftab. Shraddha really wanted to get out of the relationship.