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The nightmares of that horrible day were still there, but were receding with every hopeful day! An inspiring short story about an acid attack survivor.
This year, we bring you again the Muse of the Month contest. We have received some wonderful entries for the February Muse of the Month, and had a hard time picking just 5 winners. Congratulations to all of them!
The cue for February 2016 was:
“Normal is something I can never take for granted again.”– Andaleeb Wajid, When She Went Away.
The fifth winning entry is by Meha Sharma.
Reena woke up with a start, panting heavily. Her mom came running to her bedroom and looked at her gloomily and a tear trickled down her cheek unabated. The nightmares were still hounding her daughter. It had become a ritual of sorts. It had been five years since the day her world had coming crashing down. But it seemed like yesterday. Every day she wished that no other mother should have to see her daughter go through such trauma, misery and pain like her daughter.
The only thing that kept Reena’s mom going each day in the journey called life was the indomitable spirit of her daughter. Reena chose not to be defeated by the scars that life had imposed upon her. She was an epitome of resilience. Reena had always wanted to be a fashion designer. She had a way with fabrics and colours and designs.
She was transported in to another world whenever she sketched.
When her life was brought to a standstill on that fateful day, for days together, she was in a daze. And yes, she was in pain, excruciating pain, which transcended beyond anything she had felt before. But, when she saw the listless eyes of her mother, she resolved to be strong, piece by piece she gathered the shreds of what was remaining of her life.
Hospital visits were far too many and every time she hoped and wished for a miracle to happen. But all she needed to see was a look at her mother, who however hard she tried, could not put up a mask of mirth and even if she did, Reena could make out that it was just a veil behind which lay a dam full of tears which were struggling to break free.
Today, five years later, as Reena checked her mailbox, little did she know, that a surprise was waiting for her. She had received a mail from The ‘Princeton School of Design’ in the US, stating that she had got through their masters programme and was to join in the coming Fall. Reena’s happiness knew no bounds and for a moment she was in a state of trance. Is this for real, she thought. But ‘seeing is believing’ and with her meager eyesight too Reena could read it correctly.
She shrieked in excitement and her mom came rushing towards her. After hearing the good news her mom looked at her lovingly and yes the far away look of listlessness which Reena saw everyday, vanished. It actually did. Tears dripped down her eyes as she hugged her daughter.
It was the happiest day of Reena’s life and she looked at herself in the mirror. But today, she did not see the half burned, ugly face of a scarred woman but of a woman who could dream, a woman who could live the life she always wanted to live.
And yes, the nightmares never came, from then on. She was happy, as ‘normal was something she could never take for granted again’.
Author’s note: This story is lovingly dedicated to all the acid attack survivors, who have had the courage to go on with their lives despite such acts of brutality.
Meha Sharma wins a Rs 250 Flipkart voucher, as well as a chance to be picked one among the 10 top winners at the end of 2016. Congratulations!
Image source: seagull in flight by Shutterstock.
Meha has worked as a Business Analyst in an elite IT firm and as a full time professor in management colleges. Having earned an MBA degree in Human Resource Management and an MA degree in read more...
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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