Acid attack survivors join hands to rebuild lives, turn pain into purpose at new cafe

After being ostracised and made to feel she was “not a part of society” following an acid attack in 2014, Anshu Rajput, 27, has found comfort in Cafe Sheroes Hangout, where healing and hope are always on the menu.

Located in south-west Delhi’s Ghitorni area, the cafe is offering acid attack survivors not just employment but also a rare sense of dignity, visibility, and belonging. “Earlier, we used to come to Delhi only for hospital visits, but now the city has a new meaning,” said Ms. Anshu, from Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor. She is among the acid attack survivors running the cafe, which was officially launched on October 15. The eatery has employed a total of 15 survivors, some of whom are currently undergoing training.

Her smile fades as she recalls being aged 15 when a 55-year-old man she referred to as dadaji poured acid on her while she was asleep because she did not reciprocate his feelings. “I wanted to continue studying, but when I returned to school after my treatment, they said they could not teach me because other students would get distracted,” Ms. Anshu said.

After being “rejected” by society, she joined the Chhanv Foundation, the non-profit that runs the cafe in Lucknow, Agra, Noida, and now Delhi.  “Society does not accept us or other women who are victims of violence. When we travel by metro, people stare at us. Through this cafe, we want to send out the message that we are like everyone else, that we have the same rights, and to sensitise people about such attacks.”

Roopa (who goes by her first name), 30, echoes Ms. Anshu’s sentiments about having found a safe community at Sheroes. “The friends I lost after the attack, I have regained here,” she said. The women work together and live together, like sisters. When they have time, they watch TV, joke around, sing, and dance.

Pursuit of justice

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court expressed shock that an acid attack victim had not received closure 16 years after the crime, calling the slow pace of such cases a “mockery of the system”. The CJI also directed High Courts to provide details of all pending trials in acid attack cases. For these women, justice remains distant, even though they have received compensation. Ms. Roopa’s stepmother, who allegedly attacked her with acid, is scot-free because her family withdrew the case. Ms. Anshu’s attacker was granted bail. “He was granted bail in 2022 because he was a senior citizen,” she said.

New possibilities

Mamta Thakur, 18, another survivor working at the cafe, said she and her mother, both attacked by relatives over property issues, could not afford the costs of court proceedings and travel while also worrying about treatment. Her mother now works at the Agra cafe. After receiving job training, Ms. Mamta took up work at a packing and delivery company in 2024, but the long hours and heavy lifting left her sick. Soon after, the opportunity at the Delhi cafe came along. The women now work at the counter and as servers. “If it weren’t for this job, we would all be hiding our faces at home,” said another employee, Jaya, 31, as others nod in agreement.

 The women now explore tourist places so they can recommend spots to visitors. The cafe is open to customers and is slowly making waves