New Delhi: At Apna Ghar in Jangpura, the air smelled of cake and roses. Balloons bobbed in excitement, ‘Bride-To-Be’ cut-outs clung to the walls — and somewhere in the middle of it all stood Reshma Qureshi in front of a mirror. As she put on blush, the one eye that the acid did not steal from her remained full of hope.
A small smile played on her lips. This wasn’t just any bachelorette party; she had waited eight long years for this day. She wanted not just to wear a red bridal dress but to feel normal, to be seen as herself more than what she had been made into.
“I was 17 when my brother-in-law attacked me with acid in Allahabad,” said Reshma. “I had gone there to appear for an exam, hoping to find employment after completing my education. It wasn’t even me he wanted to hurt. It was my sister. I was collateral damage.”
The acid disfigured her face, blinded her in one eye permanently. Over the next few years, Reshma endured 20 surgeries. But a significant change came four years ago when she met Shaheen Malik, founder of Brave Souls Foundation and the woman behind Apna Ghar, a space for acid-attack survivors. “That’s when I began to heal,” said Reshma.
She remembered walking the ramp at New York Fashion Week. “That was my first time in New York and I was so excited. People heard my story, but in reality, nothing changed much in terms of a job. So, I dedicated myself to social work,” said Reshma.
She was now leaving Apna Ghar — the place that stitched her soul back together —for Mumbai with a man who never asked her to hide her scars. The outfit for her nikah in Mumbai is ready, so is the prosthetic eye she may wear, though she doesn’t need it to feel beautiful.
“It still feels surreal,” she smiled, adjusting a red rose in her hair. “When I was visiting home in Mumbai, my fiancé, Naim, saw me, texted me and has never left me since. To him, it was like nothing had happened. He saw it all — the surgeries, the pain. But he stayed. Both families had objections. Some had problems with my face, others with my last name. It was hard. But eight years later, here we are.”
When asked how it all came to be, Naim, 30, said, “I can’t even explain it. We’ve crossed a lifetime of struggles together. Mere liye toh yehi sabse khoobsurat hai (For me, she is the most beautiful woman). That is how love should be, isn’t it?”
Fellow acid-attack survivors watched Reshma with joy, some of them hoping for their turns to come too. Malik, her mentor and friend, smiled through her tears. “Why is this such a big deal? There’s nothing abnormal about an acid attack survivor getting married,” Malik braved it out. “What’s unusual is how we still treat it like a miracle. This should be normal — celebrating them, falling in love with them, not despite their scars, but because they are human and worthy of love like anyone else.”
The Brave Soul founder added, “I’ve seen Reshma’s struggles. Her relationship had many challenges, but in the process she learnt enough to become a counsellor for others. There were highs and lows, like any love story. What matters is how she’s finally being accepted. She still has doubts whether it will work out. But I want her to go out and live it.”
Among the guests was Sumitra, who was similarly attacked at the age of three. Her parents never told her why. She changed schools 10 times, was rejected repeatedly, and had no friends. “I came to Apna Ghar two years ago for surgery. And I never left,” she said. Sumitra has been dating someone since Class IX. “He saw me at my worst, even when my face looked frightening. But he wasn’t deterred. It’s still a struggle convincing family, society. Let’s see where it takes us. We just need more people like Naim to treat us normally.”
Reema, 26, was in Class X when acid changed her life. “I’m waiting for love,” she said quietly. “But seeing Reshma I feel maybe, just maybe, my time will come too.”
