A woman who suffered horrific burns and lost her eyesight after having acid thrown in her face because she turned down the sexual advances of three men has married the love of her life.
Brave Sonali Mukherjee-Tiwari, 29, was left with 70 per cent burns to her face when three teenagers broke into her home and threw acid over her after they branded her ‘arrogant’ for turning them down.
Sonali, who was just 17 at the time, was forced to endure more than 28 different surgical procedures as medics battled to limit the damage the acid had done to her skin in the 2003 attack.
Having been left blind and disfigured, Sonali spent much of the next decade hiding in her parents home, but following a number of appearances on TV in India, her story touched the heart of one viewer so deeply, he had to get in touch.
After a period of getting to know each other, Sonali and 29-year-old Chittaranjan Tiwari fell in love and tied the knot on Wednesday.
Sonali said: “I never believed marriage would happen to me. I was building myself up for a life time alone.
“I’ve spent the last ten years building my strength and independence but this is a dream come true.”
Electrical engineer Chittaranjan first clapped eyes on his future wife in 2013 on a TV crime programme and felt compelled to get in touch.
He managed to find her mobile phone number on the internet and decided to get in touch with her.
Sonali said: “Lots of people get in touch with me and wish me well, I thought Chittaranjan was just another well wisher.
“He was very kind and said some very lovely words and we just kept in touch. Over time we got very friendly.”
Over the coming months, the couple would continue talking for hours on the phone and got increasingly close until Chittaranjan decided to pop the question.
Sonali said: “One day last year he proposed; I couldn’t believe it. They were words I never imagined I would hear.
“I was in so much shock I told him I had to think about it. I asked him ‘why do you want to marry me; I’m blind?’ and he answered saying that if two people were married and there was a tragic accident they would not separate, they’d stand by one another so this was the same thing.
“He told me I was a complete woman for him and that was amazing to hear. I never thought a man would ever say that to me.”
After Sonali spoke to her parents she eventually said yes and they are now legally married - but are still organising a big reception to celebrate.
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