U-Reshma Qureshi wayeneminyaka engu-17 kuphela lapho umlamu wakhe wangaphambili emthela nge-asidi ebusweni. Nokho, wenqaba ukuvumela lesi sigameko silawule ikusasa lakhe. Uhlanganyela ngohambo lwakhe no-Femina.
'Ngancishwa usizo lwezokwelapha amahora amane. Mina nomndeni wami saya ezibhedlela ezimbili ukuze sithole ukwelashwa ngokushesha kodwa saxoshwa ngenxa yokuntuleka koMlilo. Njengoba singakwazi ukuzisiza futhi sidinga usizo oluphuthumayo, saya esiteshini samaphoyisa, futhi okwalandela kwaba ukuphenywa amahora amaningi—sonke lapho ubuso bami buvutha ngenxa ye-asidi. Kuze kwaba yilapho ngiqala ukuphalaza, lapho iphoyisa elinomusa lasisiza khona ukuqala inqubo yezokwelapha. Nokho, ngaleso sikhathi ngase ngilahlekelwe iso. U-Reshma Qureshi ulandisa ngosizi olubuhlungu yena nomndeni wakhe ababhekana nalo emizuzwini embalwa ngemva kokuba umlamu wakhe, u-Jamaluddin, emthele nge-acid ebusweni ngoMeyi 19, 2014.
Umsolwa oneminyaka engu-22 ubudala wahamba ekhaya (e-Allahabad) ehamba nodadewabo uGulshan ngosuku lwenhlekelele. Ngesikhathi kuzohlolwa u-Alimah, lo mlisa ubejahe ukufika esiteshini samaphoyisa njengoba amaphoyisa ayesethole ukuthi ikuphi indodana yakhe eyathunjwa owayengumyeni wakhe, u-Jamaluddin (laba bobabili babedivosile kuphela. emasontweni ambalwa ngaphambi kwesigameko). Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, i-duo yabanjwa ngu-Jamaluddin, owafika endaweni nezihlobo ezimbili. Bebona ingozi, odade bazama ukubaleka, kodwa uReshma wabanjwa wadonswa phansi. Wangithela nge acid ebusweni. Ngikholwa ukuthi, udadewethu nguye owayehlosiwe kodwa, ngaleso sikhathi, ngahlaselwa, usho kanje.
Ngokuphazima kweso, umhlaba wakhe wawubhidlikile. Ngaleso sikhathi eneminyaka engu-17, lesi sigameko asizange simlimaze nje kuphela ngokomzimba kodwa nangokwengqondo. Umndeni wami wawuhlakazekile, futhi udadewethu wayelokhu ezigxeka ngokungehlele. Ezinyangeni ngemva kokwelashwa, lapho ngizibona esibukweni, angikwazanga ukubona intombazane emi lapho. Kwakubonakala sengathi ukuphila kwami kwase kuphelile. Ngazama ukuzibulala izikhathi eziningi; ekhathazekile, amalungu omndeni wami ashintshana ngokuba nami 24*7, uyachaza.
Okwenze isimo saba sibi kakhulu ukuthambekela komphakathi ukusola nokuhlazisa uReshma ngale nhlekelele. Wayefihla ubuso bakhe ngenxa yokuziphatha kwabantu okunganaki. Ngangibhekene nemibuzo enjengokuthi, ‘Kungani ekuhlasele nge-asidi? Wenzeni?’ noma ‘Umpofu, ubani ozomshada.’ Ingabe abesifazane abangashadile abanalo ikusasa? uyabuza.
U-Reshma uyavuma ukuthi inselele enkulu yezisulu zokuhlaselwa nge-asidi ukucwaswa emphakathini. Baphoqeleka ukuthi bacashe ngeminyango evaliwe ngoba esikhathini esiningi abenzi bobubi bayaziwa yibona. Eqinisweni, njengamacala okudlwengula, inani eliphezulu lokuhlaselwa nge-asidi alifiki ngisho emafayilini amaphoyisa. Izisulu eziningana zishona ekulimaleni kwazo ngaphambi kokuba kufakwe i-FIR, futhi iziteshi zamaphoyisa eziningi ezigodini ziyenqaba ukurekhoda ubugebengu ngoba izisulu zijwayelene nabahlaseli bazo.
Kwakungalesi sikhathi lapho i-Make Love Not Scars, inhlangano engenzi nzuzo evuselela abasinde ekuhlaselweni kwe-asidi e-pan India, yeza njengesibusiso ngokucasha. Basize ngemali yokuhlinzwa kwakhe futhi muva nje, usanda kwakhiwa kabusha amehlo e-Los Angeles. I-NGO, kanye nomndeni wami, kwaba uhlelo olukhulu lokusekela ngezikhathi ezinzima. Angikwazi ukubabonga ngokwanele ngakho konke, usho kanje. Namuhla, le nsizwa eneminyaka engu-22 ubudala ingubuso be-Make Love Not Scars, futhi i-CEO yayo, u-Tania Singh usize u-Reshma ukubhala inkumbulo yakhe— Ukuthi Reshma , ekhishwe ngonyaka odlule. Ngencwadi yakhe, uhlose ukwenza abantu abasinde ekuhlaselweni kwe-asidi. Abantu bayakhohlwa ubuso balezi zinhlekelele esifunda ngazo nsuku zonke. Ngethemba ukuthi incwadi yami ikhuthaza abantu ukuthi balwe ngezikhathi zabo ezinzima, futhi babone ukuthi okubi kakhulu kuyaphela.
UReshma ufake isikhalo ngabaphula umthetho, icala lisaqhubeka. Omunye wabo unikezwe isigwebo esincane njengoba esemncane (17) ngesikhathi kwenzeka lesi sigameko. Ukhululwe ngonyaka odlule. Nami ngangineminyaka engu-17. Ngiphuma kanjani esimweni engangibekwe kuso? uthi. Osindile ugomela ngokuthi nakuba imithetho evikela izisulu zokuhlaselwa nge-asidi ikhona, ukuqaliswa kuyinselele. Sidinga ukutshala imali emajele amaningi nasezinkantolo ezisheshayo. Ukusalela emuva emacaleni kukhulu kangangokuthi asikho isibonelo esibekelwe abenzi bokubi. Lapho kunokwesaba umphumela, izephula-mthetho zizocabanga kabili ngaphambi kokwenza ubugebengu. E-India, amacala aqhubeka iminyaka, izigebengu ziphuma ngebheyili futhi zidedelwa ngaphambi kwesikhathi ukuze kuvuleke iziboshwa ezintsha, kuchaza uReshma.
Sekuyiminyaka emihlanu lokhu kuhlasela, futhi namuhla, u-Reshma uzibophezele ekufundiseni labo abaseduze kwakhe ngesenzo esinyantisayo kanye nemiphumela ebuhlungu kwabasindile. Umzamo wakhe wokufinyelela imbangela wamtholela ithuba lokuhamba e-New York Fashion Week ngo-2016, okwamenza waba ngowokuqala owasinda ekuhlaselweni kwe-asidi ukwenza kanjalo. Izinkumbulo zesikhulumi, u-Reshma uyavuma, zizohlala zigxilile enhliziyweni yakhe. Imodeli kufanele iphelele - ibe mihle, ibe mncane futhi ibe yinde. Ngahamba umgwaqo omkhulu kunawo wonke naphezu kokuba ngasinda ekuhlaselweni kwe-asidi, futhi kwangibonisa amandla esibindi namandla obuhle bangempela, uthi.
U-Reshma ungumbhali, imodeli, umkhankasi we-anti-acid, ubuso be-NGO, kanye nosinde ekuhlaselweni kwe-acid. Eminyakeni ezayo, ufisa ukuba ngumdlali we-actress. Ukubhekana nenhlekelele kungase kukuthathe sonke isibindi sakho, kodwa umuntu kumelwe akhumbule ukuthi kwenye indawo esikhathini esizayo izinsuku lapho uyophinde uhleke, izinsuku lapho uyokhohlwa khona ubuhlungu bakho, izinsuku lapho uyojabula khona ukuthi uyaphila. Izofika, kancane futhi kabuhlungu, kodwa uzophila futhi, ephetha.
