Some wounds may be difficult to heal even with time, but a few brave souls are born survivors. Here is an account of a young girl, Zahira (name changed), the daughter of a petty scrap dealer who survived a barbaric gang rape in May 2005. The incident, at the time, garnered a lot of media attention and is remembered as the Lucknow Ashiana Gang Rape.
The girl – 13 years old at the time – was allegedly kidnapped, brutally tortured and raped by 6 youths . One of the boys belonged to the family of a Samajwadi Party member as reported by The Times of India.
Fast forward to the present, Zahira is now 23 and aspires to be a judge, as she toldThe Logical Indian. She wishes to provide justice to other girls who have been raped and wants the perpetrators to be punished.
She wishes to be fluent in English so that she can be at par with the other students at the computer coaching classes she has been attending. She has passed the 10th standard and wants a job that she deserves, and not one offered to her by a politician or social worker on grounds of charity.
Zahira’s journey from victim to survivor is one that is harrowing but at the same time, one which is a source of inspiration for many.
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