Sania Khan had separated from her husband earlier this year, despite pressure from her family, and was trying to start a new chapter, she said in online posts. She got her own place in Chicago, miles away from the man she described as “toxic.”⁠ ⁠ On TikTok, she documented it all. From the pain of leaving a marriage she “shouldn’t have been in to begin with,” to the shame she felt at the hands of her South Asian community, to the heart-wrenching process of starting her life over.⁠ ⁠ But living independently and working as a photographer, she said she was finally reclaiming her autonomy.⁠ ⁠ Then, she was shot to death. ⁠ ⁠ As a Pakistani American, Khan’s killing sent shock waves through the diaspora. Other South Asian women who have been through divorces say they have faced the same stigmas and isolation when trying to leave abusive partners. ⁠ ⁠ “I could see myself in her,” said one Marathi woman who lives in the U.S. “For her to have not only left him, but being able to survive and be happy and do well, that was not something he could live with.” ⁠ ⁠ Read more in the link in bio.⁠ ⁠ 📸: Haider Farooq Khan via Facebook