Laxmi Agarwal went through something no human should experience.
In her hometown of New Delhi, India, she was browsing a bookshop when she noticed 32-year-old Naeem Khan, one of her friend’s brothers, staring at her.
He’d been stalking her for quite some time and when she ignored him outside the bookshop, the woman he was with pushed Laxmi to the ground.
“I felt cold liquid splash across my face, causing an unimaginable burning sensation,” she told Fabulous.
“I began rolling around on the dirty city street in a desperate bid to stop the pain.”
She had been attacked by acid.
She ended up staying in hospital for two months where she underwent two major skin-grafting surgeries as her nose, mouth and neck had all melted away.
Over the next four years, she endured nine operations.
In 2013, Laxmi was approached by Alok Dixit, 28, the founder of Stop Acid Attacks, a charity that helps victims in India.
“We worked closely together and, over the months, my feelings for Alok grew. At first I saw him as a really good friend, but I soon realised I was falling in love with him.”
As time went on, he admitted he had feelings for her; falling for her courage and spirit.
“I’d never believed I’d find somebody who would love me after the attack, so knowing he felt the same way as I did brought huge joy and strength.”
After moving in together, the couple discovered they were expecting a child.
“I started to worry – how would my child react to my face? Would they be scared of me, or find it difficult to bond with me?”
Their daughter Pihu was born the following April and “the moment we locked eyes, I loved her more than anything in the world,” Lami tells.
“Sometimes I struggle to believe something so beautiful is a part of me – it’s a happiness I never thought I’d feel.”
“I’ve already decided that, when the time is right, I will tell Pihu about what happened to me. I don’t want her to hear about it from anyone else. It’s my story.”
For more information and to support the Stop Acid Attacks campaign, visit Stopacidattacks.org.
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