Still, I Rise

Reshma Qureshi was just 17 when her former brother-in-law poured acid over her face. However, she refused to let the incident dictate her future. She shares her journey with Nikshubha Garg

- Nikshubha Garg

I was denied medical care for four hours. My family and I approached two hospitals for immediate treatment, but were turned away owing to the lack of FIR. Helpless and in urgent need of assistance, we

went to a police station, and what followed was hours of questioning—all while my face burned under the effect of acid. It’s only when I started throwing up, did a kind policeman help us initiate medical proceedings. However, by then, I had lost an eye.” Reshma Qureshi narrates the bone-chilling ordeal she and her family were subjected to minutes after her brother-in-law, Jamaluddin, poured acid on her face on May 19, 2014.

The 22-year-old left home (in Allahabad) with sister Gulshan in tow on the day of the tragedy. While she was slated to appear for an Alimah exam, the latter was in a hurry to get to the police station as the officers had located the whereabouts of her son who was kidnapped by her former husband, Jamaluddin (the two had divorced each other only a few weeks before the incident). Soon after, the duo was intercepted by Jamaluddin, who landed at the spot with two relatives. Sensing danger, the sisters tried to flee, but Reshma was caught and pulled to the ground. “He poured acid all over my face. I believe, my sister was the target but, in that moment, I was attacked,” she says.