Rupa

Rupa, the most vocal of the 3 girls, had a lot to say. She first jumped in when they were speaking about how the foundation helped them realize that they were not alone. After being attacked, Rupa got the courage to leave her house after seeing some survivors in much worse condition. Some had lost vision in both eyes and some weren't able to walk. She then realized that if these women can persevere and not be ashamed, she has no reason to be afraid either. They all gave each other courage and the group went from 8 women, to 10 and is now up to 20 women. 

Before coming out, Rupa would even sit in her own house covering her face with a scarf. She only left the house to go to the hospital. She would avoid speaking to or seeing anyone who came to her house. It took Rupa 5 years to find support within her own house and with the foundation. Only then was she able to show her face in public and be proud. From the other side, most of her family took a long time to treat her like a normal person. They only changed their tune after she and the foundation started picking up publicity. Only her aunt and uncle were her main support system from day 1 and took care of her with the support of their entire village. 

Rupa was attacked by her stepmother. Her father remarried after her mother passed away and the stepmother had a difficult time accepting that Rupa's father had a family of his own before she and her kids came into the house. Due to her extreme jealousy, the stepmother made many attempts on Rupa and her brother's life by poisoning or strangling them. Finally, after the passing of her father, the stepmother found her open window threw acid on Rupa while she was sleeping. She said she was lucky her vision was saved because her eyes were closed when she was attacked. She did not find the courage to call anyone or go to the hospital until 5 pm the next day. 

It took years, but Rupa is fully recovered and is using the platform of the foundation to find other women who struggled just like her. She explained that her livelihood was undermined by the act of her stepmother. While her step siblings lived a normal life and grew up with an education and are getting married, Rupa spent her adolescence recovering from her injuries and learn to accept her new appearance. However, she wants to leave the past behind her and will not allow anyone to bring her down. In the spirit of letting bygones by bygones, she also does not want to pursue charges against her stepmother. She had kids of her own who were young at the time of her attack. Rupa did not want those kids to lose a mother and grow up without one. She had to suffer through the loss of her own mother and does not want to punish other children out of revenge. This is Rupa explaining her reasoning.  

Rupa's main mission is to get the word out. Much like the women before her inspired her to uncover her face and start living a normal life, she wants to do the same. Rupa has moved away from her village and now lives in Agra working at the cafe. She does not like being called a "survivor". She is a normal girl who has had to overcome more than most people do in a lifetime, but ultimately, she is just a girl.