“Toxicity, Abuse”: Post By Delhi Cafe Owner’s Wife Days Before His Suicide

Less than a week before Delhi cafe owner Puneet Khurana died by suicide, his estranged wife and business partner Manika Pahwa had put up a cryptic post on social media stating that she had been subjected to “toxicity and narcissistic abuse” and was now free. The couple, co-owners of the popular Woodbox Cafe in Delhi, were going through a divorce.

Khurana (40) was found hanging in his room in Model Town’s Kalyan Vihar area on New Year’s Eve. He had spoken to Manika on Monday night and recorded the conversation, in which the couple can be heard fighting over issues related to the business.

Khurana’s family has blamed Ms Pahwa for his death and said she “instigated him” to die by suicide. 

In her post on Instagram from six days ago, Ms Pahwa said she is healing well “after all the toxicity and narcissistic abuse” and was trying to “be better and to be indifferent” every day.

Without naming anyone, she said higher powers would decide what was best for her “abusers”. 

“Well feminism suits me, as idealistic values are my core & feminism means giving & getting mere respect. To one another. No slave treatment, and no stopping some girl to speak her mind (sic). Even a house help, guard, rikshawala, a tiny kid deserves respectful treatment. Once a coward fought with me that ‘respect has to be earned’. Ufff! What disgrace na? I disagree, respect has to be given to each and everyone. If not then you lost the respect baby. Phew! Maybe that’s why in India, we address people with ‘aap’, ‘bhaiya’, ‘didi’ to even strangers, isn’t it?” she wrote.

Referring to her abusers as insecure cowards, Ms Pahwa said virtues like kindness and love are more important than money. 

“I just wish these abusers get to see the mirror someday and understand..that kindness, love, understanding, trust,wisdom, affection & care all are true virtues & hold much more importance than money,property & gold. God bless the unkind ones. 🙂 I know nobody can change, but let’s just pray, nobody else should suffer because of some bunch of insecure cowards. My tribe, pray with me..okay? 🙂 love you all… I am free, and the beautiful ruins are part of me,” she wrote.

‘Stressed Him Out’

On Wednesday, Khurana’s sister told news agency ANI that Ms Pahwa had instigated him. 

“Manika Pahwa, her parents and her sister forced my brother, stressed him out, instigated him by saying, ‘you can’t do anything, die by suicide if you dare’. Puneet shot a video before his death, it is on his phone, he has said everything, about how Manika and his parents pressured him mentally. They threatened to throw our parents out and dared him to open his shop’s shutter. They kept abusing him,” she said.

She claimed the division of the business had been laid out clearly, but Ms Pahwa kept asking for her share from the other part too. 

“They earlier ran the bakery business in partnership. But when the first motion for divorce was signed, it was decided and put in writing that Puneet would manage For God’s bakery and Manika would get Woodbox Cafe. It was signed. Even after that, she kept saying that she won’t leave her share. When the matter has been decided in court, go and raise the issue there. She kept calling him and demanding her share,” the sister said.

Khurana’s mother also claimed Ms Pahwa kept torturing her son and he suffered in silence. 

“The two shared the business, they would have disputes over it. He would not say anything openly to us, thinking we would be upset. He kept swallowing his grief. My son was doing well, but she tortured him so much yesterday that he took this step,” she said.

The couple got married in 2016 and had been separated for two years. Khurana’s family has filed a police complaint and sought action against Ms Pahwa and her family.