My Own Father Threw Acid On My Face But I Did Not Let That Stop Me. Here Is My Story.
( words)
*For representational purpose only.
Hello, I am Anmol Rodriguez and this is my narrative that has left people spellbound!
When I was just 2 months old, my very own father flung acid at my mother. Since I was resting on my mother’s lap at the time, I too became a victim of the attack. Sadly, my mom passed away because of the scars from the burn.
I spent about 5 years at the hospital, fighting, coping with permanent marks and injuries. But at the hospital, I was treated like their very own, they were my family and my hope. Soon I was sent to an orphanage that provided me with education and all my essentials.
But the twist in my story was when I had to move out of the orphanage. After completing 18 years of age, the orphanage asks children to live on their own. All the while I was there, I gained the best education. I was a rank holder in college but the struggle was on an individual level. The college kids didn’t want to be friends with me and getting through college life was painful. I was human at the end of the day but nobody gave it a thought. Crossing obstacles on my way, I graduated with a bachelor’s in computer degree.
As I stated before, there was no full stop. I got a job after a lot of refusals but had to leave the place in just 2 months as everyone centered on my face and again failed to look at me as a person.
I had to look for something else. Meanwhile, I got myself a new phone and discovered the joy of social media. I began posting my pictures and received an overwhelming amount of support. But there is only so much social media can provide, tangibility was still very far.
I wanted to be on camera and act, or model. My friend and manager Megha started helping me in this process. People, more importantly, brands started noticing my profile and got me to do some endorsements. I launched a new line of clothing for Clovia. Also, featured in a short film, ‘Aunty Ji’ with Shabana Azmi!
Soon, I started Ted Talks, Ramp Walk for brands among many other things. My journey moves forward today as I work with Kineer, an organization that serves the LGBTQ community. People will always look, stare!
I encountered those stares, broke the stereotypes, and rose above all the hatred that came my way. I have been through something that I never deserved. But instead of mourning my fate, I beamed at the opportunities that came my way.
It took a host of failures, self-esteem repair, and a shift in my the mindset to rise above the tragedy that could have dominated my life. Instead of centering on it, I define my childhood by my love for Poo from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), my adolescence by my admiration for Priyanka Chopra, and my adulthood by my success and self-confidence.
