No matter how many times I splashed water; burnt scars on my
face refused to get budged. The mirror reflects my mangled face half heartedly.
Singed hair no longer covers my despondent face and hope.
A young boy of 12 years raced through the streets with his
heart outpacing him. The appalled look on his face spoke of unspeakable. “Mom you were right, Frankenstein was for
real. I just met one down the alley next to that brick house”. “Don’t talk like
that, they are our new neighbors”. I was
accustomed to such outrageous remarks.
It was a pleasant October morning 6:30 a.m., wafting breeze
was caressing my tufts of hair. The lyrical trilling of the birds was music to
my ears. The sun was soaked in glistening lava. I was breathing quantum of
life. My bus stop was teeming with life, bustling with school kids accompanied
by their harried parents. Surprisingly I become nostalgic everyday at the same
time. I strained my eyes to spot my
ramshackle bus, to my dismay it was nowhere to be seen. I could see a toddler tugging onto my shirt
and subsequently onto my heart. She offered a chewed piece of her candy to me,
as she could nibble it no more. I closed
my eyes and thanked God for this blissful life.
It had started raining; I could feel drops of dew on my
forehead. It was sublime. Soon those elixir drops started to burn, gosh, I
stretched my right hand to wipe beads of drops. To my horror, the skin on my
fingers peeled off. My forehead was in excruciating pain.
“Water, water ……someone please throw water on me, help me
please” I was wailing in pain. There came a puddle of splash to my rescue… or
to my corrosion. Someone had thrown something diabolical…… it was acid. Acid
penetrated my eyes, felt as if barbed wires had penetrated them. My pupil (black
in color) became of the same color as that of cornea (white in color). I just
couldn’t see any more. I didn’t know what was happening. “
Mumaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa”, I shouted for help and somehow my mother was oblivious
to my hapless cries. She would always come to my rescue, I didn’t know what
happened this time, what took her so long. My face was burning; I could smell
fumes and despair. My skin was peeling off, my bones protruding and peeking
from the edges. The pain was excruciating, every fiber in my soul shrieked for
mercy. I lost hope and consciousness. I woke up to see blurred images of sobbing
mom and shattered father in a gloomy hospital.
I felt shackled; I stretched my fingers to feel my face and
all I could feel was rolls of bandage. Wish those bandage always enveloped my
face; they would have concealed the horrifying truth of my mangled face. A
worker casually walked in with a bottle of acid in his hand; he was about to
pour it in washroom adjoining to my bed. I shouted at the top of my voice “Please
don’t throw acid on me, I can’t take this pain anymore” and fell at his feet
pleadingly.
The bottle of venomous acid which can corrode anyone’s life
at a lightening pace is still easily available. Though the laws have been
recently promulgated; however their implementation is still a distant dream
Have you ever thought that the grudges that you harbor are corrosive and acidic
in nature. So next time you see an acid attack victim; remember that she too is
a part of your family and all she needs is your love and attention. ACID needs
to be redefined as Affectionate, Caring, Impassioned and Desire to help.
Ya its a major issue sir very well said
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