Sonia was around 18 years old when she decided to work and support her family. Sonia’s father has a cataract in his eye. Therefore, he was unable to work and feed his family. Being the eldest, she took up a job as a beautician. Her parents thought a cell phone would come in handy for her regular travel. Since she did not have any ID at the time, she was unable to buy herself one. A neighbor, whom she addressed as bhaiya, offered help. Sonia handed him the money and he bought her a phone. A week passed by. Sonia’s phone rang incessantly at work. When she picked up the call, a policeman was at the other end. He interrogated her about how she came into possession of this phone. He suggested that the phone was stolen property. Terrified, she told him that her neighbor had purchased it for her. The police went and arrested the man. This did not go down well with him. He blamed Sonia for his arrest and asked her to apologize publicly. Clearly, Sonia was not at fault. She refused to apologize. Typical of an entitled man, he began harassing Sonia and her father. He demanded they apologize publicly. Afraid that Sonia may not be safe alone, her father would accompany her to and from work, despite his partial vision. In 2004, Sonia left work early. She did not consider calling her father, thinking it would be an unnecessary bother. Unfortunately, women in our country can’t walk alone at night. One cannot imagine her agony when two persons on a scooter flew by and threw acid on her. It took her a moment to realize that it was acid. She noticed her skin and clothes melting. Since she was not far from her home, her mother heard her screams and cries. She came out to find her daughter lying down on the floor burning. She hugged her daughter. The acid on Sonia’s body clung to her mother, leaving her with injuries too. Her parents rushed her to the Safdarjung Hospital. She was in the ICU for three months. Post, Sonia had many sleepless nights before her medical dressing was scheduled. The pain of her treatment was no less than the attack. She would bleed and scream due to the unbearable pain. She was scolded and slapped by nurses to control her screeching. The doctors had given up on her survival, therefore she chose to be discharged and die at home peacefully. But her parents kept their hopes alive. Whatever little money they had, they used it for her treatment. Her younger siblings took up labor jobs to look after the family for the only earning member was now in the hospital. Sonia attempted suicide for her pain never subsided. Shocked when she found Sonia in this position, her mother made her realise the efforts of her family to save her. So, Sonia chose life. Sonia’s culprit was freed after only a month in jail, while she was bedridden for four and half years. Despite seventeen years of suffering, her family continues to face financial constraints. She has no one to look after her mother and herself. Her father passed away seven years ago. She is married and has a very supportive husband. Sonia aspires to own a salon. She is a wonderful make-up artist and can give you a complete makeover. However, the lockdown dampened these dreams too. A financially secure life for her family is the only thing she dreams of today.