Meet Annu Malviya, A Trans Woman Building Her Dream Life From Scratch

"I always knew I was a girl from the inside. My mother also understood it. I used to wear my sister's outfits and my mother used to click my pictures. However, as I grew up, many problems surfaced. My school's head proposed to me, my brother heard him and that's when my life completely changed," shared Annu Malviya, 27, a trans woman who resides at a Garima Greh (shelter home for transgender persons) in the national capital.

Annu welcomed me to the Garima Greh, smiling ear to ear, but I remember how her eyes looked. They reflected all her pain. We sat for a quick chat and, during our conversation, Malviya spoke candidly about her tragic past, her present where she lives each day to the fullest, and the future she dreams of. Believe me, by the end of our chat, I felt a lot more optimistic about life. Excerpts here -

Following the school incident, Malviya was forced to act like a boy, made to wear boys' clothes, hair cut short. The uproar led to issues in her sister's marital home too. Annu was asked to live a regular life as a boy, earn money by working in a company like any other.

She recalled an incident when her siblings caught hold of her and cut her long hair. As she recollected the traumatic phase, her eyes welled up but quickly she smiled and said, "I am happy in my life now and it was hard for me to find this happiness. Now that I have found it, I don't wish to lose it because of anyone."

Building Her Dream Life From Scratch

Annu dreamt of being a model but none of her family members supported her. Her family was in complete denial of her identity. She fought many battles and ended up realising she won't ever be able to fulfill her dreams if she stayed back home. Last year, she left her home.

On reaching Mumbai, Annu once again kickstarted her life from scratch, changed her name, arranged her documents, started giving more time to herself, and started live streaming about her personal life and many connected with her. She soon became a broadcaster and rose to fame. She also ended up getting an acting job in a web series, 'Tali'.

Yet, Annu often faces discrimination whenever she steps out but little does she let the prejudice affect her. She said, "Yes, people look at me differently when I go out but I don't care. When I didn't listen to my mother, why would I listen to anyone else? When I step out, boys start passing comments but I don't pay much attention because I just want to be happy and move forward in life."

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A Day In The Life Of Annu Malviya

Currently, Annu is in Delhi and taking up classes to become a makeup artist. She was always fond of makeup and decided to enroll herself in a full-fledged makeup course. When not attending her classes, she is busy making Reels. Annu has an active account by the name 'Pyari Miss Annu' and has over 13000 followers on Instagram.

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A post shared by Annu Malviya (@pyari_miss_annu)

Going forward, she also dreams of doing something for people from the trans community who wish to make it big in spheres like designing, beauty, and acting among others. "There are many talented people in our community. They want to achieve success in life but it isn't easy. I want to do something for them and ensure they make it big in their respective fields," she said.