Eva Grover has spoken candidly about her troubled marriage to Hyder Ali Khan, revealing that she realised within days of their wedding that she had made a mistake. In a recent conversation, Eva reflected on her youthful obsession with marriage, the warning signs she ignored, and the years of abuse she endured before eventually walking away.
Recalling her early dreams of settling down, Eva admitted that marriage had been her biggest aspiration since her teenage years.
“Actually, this obsession didn't begin when I was 26 or 27. It started when I was around 15 or 16 years old. I was completely obsessed with the idea of marriage. I must have observed more 16 Somvar fasts than most people because all I wanted was for Shiv Ji to bless me with a marriage,” she told Vickey Lalwani.
Eva said she had imagined a fairytale life filled with romance, children and a loving family. However, reality turned out to be starkly different.
‘I had dated him for only 18 days’The actress revealed that she married Hyder Ali Khan after knowing him for less than three weeks.
“The truth is, I had dated him for only 18 days. In 18 days, you don't really know a person. Looking back, I don't think all the blame lies with him. Maybe some of the fault was mine too because it was too soon,” she said.
According to Eva, she ignored concerns from family and friends and eloped with him despite differences in their backgrounds.
“He proposed, I didn't listen to my mother or anyone else, and I ran away with him. My career was taking off at that time. We belonged to different religions, but on the 19th day, I left with him and we got married,” she recalled.
‘His anger issues were beyond anything I imagined’Eva said it took only a few days for her to realise that the man she had married was very different from the one she thought she knew.
“When I entered the marriage, I realised very quickly that he was not the person I thought he was,” she said.
Describing the problems that surfaced, Eva added, “The first thing was his anger issues. They were far beyond anything I could have imagined. I had never dealt with that kind of aggression before because there were no men in my household while growing up.”
When asked directly whether he was violent, Eva replied, “Yes. He was violent. I don't want to focus on specific days, but yes, he was physically violent.”
‘I was made to feel I was the problem’Despite the abuse, Eva stayed in the marriage for years, hoping things would improve.
“Because I loved him,” she said, adding that she often blamed herself for the situation.
“I was also constantly made to feel that I was the one at fault. I was told that I was the problem, that I wasn't capable enough, that I couldn't handle things properly,” she shared.
The actress also said that conversations around mental health were rare at the time, making it harder for her to seek help.
“In those days, mental health wasn't discussed the way it is today,” she said.
Tahir Hussain tried to helpEva had kind words for late filmmaker Tahir Hussain, who raised Hyder and is the father of actor Aamir Khan .
“Tahir Hussain saab was a gem of a person. Whenever he got the opportunity, he would speak to me about it. He would get emotional and even cry,” she said.
She also praised her former mother-in-law, Shahnaz, calling her “a golden-hearted woman.”
‘Having a child doesn’t fix a broken marriage’Years into the marriage, Eva became pregnant, believing a child might improve the situation.
“After four years, I allowed myself to get pregnant because I genuinely believed things would improve. That's what many people in our country are taught — that a child will save a troubled marriage,” she said.
“But in severe situations, it usually doesn't work that way.”
Eva continued working throughout her pregnancy and said she kept hoping circumstances would change.
‘My daughter became the turning point’The actress revealed that the birth of her daughter ultimately gave her the courage to leave.
“Within a month of her birth, I reached my breaking point. I simply couldn't take it anymore,” she said.
At the time, Eva was working on the television show Waqt Batayega Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya. She recalled how colleagues noticed signs of her distress and stepped in to support her.
“One day, the entire unit decided they would help me. They came to my house, spoke to my mother, and encouraged me to leave the situation,” she said.
“Thanks to all of them, I finally spoke to my mother. And my mother welcomed me back with open arms.”
Today, Eva says she is grateful for having rebuilt her life and remains especially thankful for the support system that helped her walk away from an abusive relationship.
