An Indian woman who was attacked with acid when she rejected a marriage proposal at 15, has tied the knot with a man she met in the hospital while recovering.
Pramodini Roul, 28, found love 13 years later and married Saroj Sahoo, 29, on March 1 in her hometown Jagatsinhpur, Odisha, with more than 1000 guests, including other acid attack survivors in attendance.
Saroj’s friend was a nurse and would regularly visit the hospital where Pramodini was being treated. The pair later got close and fell in love following their first meeting in 2018.
After the acid attack, Pramodini was left with burns on her face and only 20 percent of her eyesight. She was also left bald by the attack and had to undergo five reconstructive surgeries including one to correct vision in her left eye, she met the love of her life in hospital.
Pramodini, who wore a wig on her wedding day, said: ‘I feel so blessed to be married to Saroj, it’s an amazing feeling.
‘We had so many guests at our wedding to celebrate our special day with us.’
The couple were engaged in 2018 and had plans to marry in April 2020 but the pandemic outbreak last year delayed their plans.
Pramodini said: ‘After visiting the hospital on and off during my recovery in 2018 we fell in love and he gave up his job to help care for me.
‘A lot of people were surprised that he would want to marry me but we fell in love and our families did come around to the idea.’
Pramodini added: ‘After meeting in hospital we lived together in New Delhi at first before contemplating on getting married in two years.
‘The first time I’d seen Saroj was this September when I had undergone the first surgery in left eye but I had fallen for his charms.
‘He loves me like the way I am. He always encourages me to live life happily.’
The two now work for rehabilitation of acid attack survivors in Odisha through Chaanv Foundation, an NGO that works for acid attack survivors in the country.