From trauma to triumph
Becoming an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer has been a dream of Kafi for as long as she can remember. She has built her confidence bit by bit, but the journey that began with a horrific acid attack has been arduous.
Kafi was just three-year-old when her neighbour threw a bottle full of acid at her out of spite after a dispute with her family. She lost her vision as well as the playful charm that comes with the age and was forced to settle into the life of an “acid attack survivor”.
On Tuesday, Kafi, now 17, emerged as the topper of the Institute for Blind, Sector 26, by scoring 95.6 per cent (478 of 500 marks) in Class XII humanities stream — a boost to her ultimate goal.
“I am happy with the marks. I just want to succeed in life...my aim is to become an IAS, especially so my father can see me sitting in the same office that he works at,” said an elated Kafi, whose father works as a peon in the Haryana Mini Secretariat. The youngster said she studied six hours a day, mostly using NCERT books and audio recordings, to achieve success in the exams. “My focus was mainly on studying the main chapters, so as to get an idea for future studies as well,” she added.
Kafi, who prefers to keep to herself ever since the attack, finds joy in keeping up with her varied interests. She loves cricket and Virat Kohli. “I was enjoying the Champions Trophy final on March 9, before my final examination on March 11,” said Kafi, who follows the sport through commentary and help from her younger brother.
“I help my mother in the morning and teach my brother (a Class 10 student) for one or two hours on a daily basis. He is also gradually developing interest in academics now,” said Kafi, who originally hails from Hisar.
Others from the Sector 26 institute that did well in the exam include Sumant Poddar, who claimed the second position with 94 per cent, and Gursaran Singh, who stood third with 93.6 per cent. Both students have also faced the same hardships after losing their sight at a young age. Sunny Kumar Chauhan topped the Class 10 exam with 88.2 per cent, followed by Simrajit Kaur (82.76 per cent) and Neetika (78.60 per cent).
A Virat fan
“Sometimes, I also wish to play cricket, watch Virat Kohli and live a normal life. Even though things are not in my hands, life does not dishearten me. While I miss watching the world with my own eyes, I am able to find positivity and motivation from my thoughts and actions. I hope the world understands the value of life and peace,” Kafi.
