The reality show '
Splitsvilla
' changed his life and
Gaurav Arora has now become
Gauri. Gaurav always knew he was different, but it was an incident on the set of the reality show 'Splitsvilla' a year ago that spurred him to change his gender.
“I knew I was a woman from within since my childhood. I was always attracted to men, but my fear of being rejected and subjected to prejudice in society made me suppress my true identity. So, I would end up playing football as well as with dolls. People called me chakka (transvestite),” he reveals.
Talking about his stint in the show, he says, “I entered 'Splitsvilla' as a straight guy, but came out as a changed person and transformed into a woman eventually. I fell for a popular TV actor who came as a guest. I was a fan of his college rockstar image. We spent some ‘quality time’ together. For the first time, a guy made me feel like a woman. But I learnt that he was cheating on me with another guy. I was heartbroken and quit the show as I couldn't take the rejection. The good that came out of it was that I decided to become and live as a woman.” Ironically, the man who Gaurav fell for on the show started distancing himself after Gaurav’s transformation. “He didn’t appreciate my transformation and doesn’t talk to me, even though we go to the same gym,” he adds.
Gaurav never shared anything with his family. “We never had a conversation on this until I came out of the closet on the show. My mother dissuaded me from talking to my father as he wouldn’t understand, but I didn’t pay heed. He severed ties with me. I hope to reconcile with him one day. I cry sometimes as the journey has been really difficult. The medical procedure is so expensive and his support would have made a difference," he shares.
He’s still subjected to taunts and mockery. He says, “Kids laugh at me and shopkeepers mock me. Being a woman is not easy. Despite the odds, I am so proud of my decision. I have never felt as strong as a man as I feel now as a woman. I also want my story to reach out to maximum people and inspire those who are battling this struggle.”
However, his transformation to Gauri is far from complete. Gaurav says, “I will undergo surgery in six months. Right now, I am patiently trying to transform myself with the help of medicines and fillers. I never miss my workouts. Even as a transgender, you have the right to look every bit a diva. My figure is my confidence.”
And what about love? “Love has no place in my life at the moment. I only aim to be successful. I am not over my last relationship. I have trust issues, but I have not given up on love and marriage!” he replies.