But I didn't realize then, there was a rookie kind of student in our college who had a big crush on
me, and many times he expressed his feelings to me, and last month I had a big fight with him and
slapped him in front of all my friends, he was burning in through a vengeance, this is very common in
Uttar Pradesh, I did not pay much attention to it, but when me and my friend passed through him, he
and his friends passed some obscene comment on me, and furiously I bumped in to him and tried to
slap him, but he hold my hand and started teasing my body, I bit his hand and we managed to fled
from there.
We were walking down the street, this guy came all of a sudden from no where on his motorcycles
and splashed ACID on my face and ran away, I started screaming till my soul out, the burning
sensation was so much, that in few seconds my skin ripped off out of burn, the acid was coming
from my mouth and I tried to puke whatever I ate in the morning, my friend too was screaming and
asking for help, people came to me and took me to the hospital but till that time my face got
entirely burnt, I was semi unconscious, I wasn't able to see but I could hear the sound of beep beep,
as if someone was trying to operate on my face, I didn't know what happened next, but when I woke
up, I opened my eyes with blurry images, soon I realized, I was left with one eye only, doctors could
not save my other eye, my parents came to me crying, I still remember that moment when I asked my
father to bring me a mirror but he refused, and when I insisted more, he brought me one, I
shattered, and the feelings of revulsion took over completely, I cried..cried and cried.. as if like
nothing left in me, I can't forget that moment, when I first encountered my face in the mirror.
My mother used to scold at me when I used to stand hours and hours in front of a mirror admiring my
looks and the make up I used to do, but the vengeance of that bastard took my life away from me,
but there was nothing I could do, after few days of treatment in the hospital, I got discharged, when
I was on the way to my home with my family, I asked my father about the bastard who did
this heinous crime, he said he is in the jail and case is been filed, I insisted my father to take me to
that jail where he's kept.
My father looked in to my eyes, he soon realized my fearlessness and my eyes were dried like a
desert, he took me there where he was kept. He was behind the bars, I rammed to him and removed
my scarf, and showed him the crime which he did, he couldn't see me, and turned his eyes off. He
just said one word "SORRY", is that it? I asked, will your sorry bring me my face back? Will your
repent bring me my life back? Your heinous impotent crime is making you just say SORRY, but what
about me? I have to live with it now, soon you will be released from here, but this face will be like
this forever, and I came out from there.
As we reached home, I saw that guy whom I was about to get marry with his family, I told him I want
to talk with you alone, we went to my room and I showed my face which was covered with the scarf,
before he could say something, I looked in to his eyes and said, thanks you came to see me, but I
can't marry you, please go ahead with your life and marry one beautiful girl, I don't want to pound
myself on anyone, and not you especially, whom I loved. Before he could say NO, I said it, I knew, he
came to me to say NO. I can't blame him, nor his family too.. He said one thing I will fight your case
and I will see to it that you get justice and he left. I was crying in front of mirror, my father took me
in his arms and cried too, I wiped his tears and said, I will complete my law studies and fight for my
justice and as well as for those like me.
I Anjali Sharma, a acid attack victim and a lawyer by profession and I fight for oppressed
and victimized women, I struggled a lot and faced a lot from society, but my courage brought
me here.
This is an
imaginary story but pain is real, yes we are victimized by radicle people but we are humans and we do
deserve a better life, we may look ugly but we are no less talented and capable than any of you, its just we want
"ACCEPTANCE"
&
"OPPORTUNITIES." - a story by RAHUL MEHTA