Real-life Stories: One Photo Shoot Changed The Life Of This Girl

Being humiliated and constantly insulted for your skin colour or the way you look can bring down your confidence completely.

There are many people out there who get depressed, lose their confidence and also those who commit suicide and all this is done for the reason of being bullied!

Here we share a story from the latest post shared by the Humans of Bombay on their Facebook page that describes the life of a woman. She revealed that while growing up, she went into a shell after she was bullied for her looks and skin colour. She revealed how a single photoshoot changed her life in the post.

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Check out her beautiful post where she tells us how her life changed after she was bullied for her skin colour, looks and hair colour too!

Read her story in her own words below.

"Growing up, I was bullied because of my dark complexion and 'foreigner' looks. My classmates asked me why I wasn't applying 'fair and lovely.' It got worse when a girl threw her shoe at me, in a playground, saying 'go away, you don't belong here'... I internalised all the anger. I wore baggy clothes and withdrew in my shell... I hated myself because I could never match the beauty standards of those around me.

It was only when I went to college that things started to change. When my seniors told me to participate in a fun photoshoot - I naively agreed. They asked me to wear a towel, pose and smile. I knew they were 'ragging' me, but I can't thank them enough because when I saw those photos, my perspective changed. I realised that there was nothing wrong with me. I was beautiful. These photos captured the real me - and for the first time, I liked what I saw.

When I went on to a different university, I took up photography as a hobby. My confidence came through my camera... and it defeated my insecurities. I began to photograph myself more - I took care of myself better, lost the baggy clothes and set out to lose weight. In 6 months I lost 20 kgs and I knew that anything I set my heart on, I could achieve. I was a confident new person.

In fact, when the guy I was seeing threatened to leave me saying 'it's the way you look, my parents won't accept you,' I left him. But I wasn't done facing challenges... During college, one night, my professor locked me in his room and raped me. I was traumatized. I started feeling 'dirty' again. But, I kept reminding myself that the fault wasn't mine - I yanked myself out of it. So, I worked twice as hard to keep my spirit intact and focus on my photography...I dreamt of being the best photographer in India. I took on every project that came my way, researched all kinds of photography and immersed myself in the process.

Three years later, when I came to Mumbai, I started my own company - a feeling I can't express. It wasn't easy - I faced rejections and was looked down by my previous bosses, but I stuck it out... and that's been my biggest lesson.

Today, I have a great business, my own home and a boyfriend who makes me feel beautiful. But that's only because I FEEL beautiful in my skin - I am the masterpiece I was searching for my entire life and I love every shade, every scar, every color it displays."

Her Post:

For more interesting and inspirational stories, keep checking our section as we bring in more inspiring and real-life stories that will keep you positive.