She pretended to be a 36-year-old man for a very noble reason: “I will never be a female.”

An Indian woman has revealed that she has pretended to be a man for over 30 years, for a very noble reason: to protect her daughter after a tragic accident left her young family vulnerable.

The Daily Star reported that Bechimal spent 36 years pretending to be a man to protect her daughter and keep her safe from stalkers. Bechimal of Tamil Nadu in southern India made the extraordinary sacrifice for decades while raising the child alone.

Married at the age of 20, Beechmael tragically lost her husband while carrying his daughter just 15 days after their wedding – having to make bold decisions to live with the strict, traditional and sometimes insecure environment of her village.

The woman eventually decided to move away, and began cutting her hair and changing her clothes, and also renamed herself Muthu, a name that accompanied her for the rest of her life.

 Muthu kept her identity a secret from everyone but her daughter and close family members and began practicing a range of manual jobs, including work in construction, hotels and cafes.

Bechimal revealed her life story to the New India Express noting that she changed residence more than 20 years ago.

And that "only my close relatives at home and my daughter know I'm a woman," she added, "I've done all kinds of jobs, from working as a painter, tea presenter, to fast food chef."

“I saved every penny to ensure the safety and a safe life for my daughter,” she said.

The woman had converted Muthu's masculine name into her official identity, which was mentioned on all documents, including the voter's card, and the bank account.

Bechimal expressed her happiness with her daughter's marriage now, stressing that she is not ready to return to women's clothing, and that she believes that the identity that she has acquired has given her child a safer life.

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