In West Bengal's Murshidabad district, a young man named Iqbal has spent years dealing with a condition so rare and painful that doctors are still trying to fully understand it. The moment he steps out of water, his entire body starts burning as though it is on fire. To escape that unbearable pain, he ended up turning a pond roughly 20-25 feet deep into his home, spending both his days and nights submerged in it just to stay free of the burning sensation.
A childhood of hardship, then a strange turn
Iqbal, who is from Beldanga, lost his father when he was still a child and grew up in deep poverty, with very little support to fall back on. A few years ago, his life took an unexpected and frightening turn when unusual symptoms began appearing on his body without warning. The moment he stepped out of the pond, his skin would erupt in a fire-like, unbearable burning sensation that left him desperate for relief. Staying in the water eventually became the only way he could cool his body down and function normally.
Nights spent among snakes and scorpions
Iqbal's condition was so extreme that he refused to leave the pond even though it was home to snakes, scorpions and several poisonous insects lurking beneath the surface. For people living around him, it was startling and hard to believe that someone could spend hours, and eventually entire days and nights, submerged in water without stepping out. For Iqbal, though, this was never a choice, a habit or a hobby, it was simply the only way he knew to escape a burning sensation that felt life-threatening every single time it struck.
Case goes viral, Reliance steps in
Once Iqbal's painful and unusual case was highlighted in local media, it caught the attention of representatives from Reliance Industries, who took notice of just how serious his situation had become. Iqbal did not have the money to afford proper treatment on his own, so the Reliance team stepped forward and took responsibility for his care and transport. He was quickly taken to Mumbai, where doctors at Reliance Hospital began a thorough round of medical evaluation to understand exactly what was happening to his body.
Doctors suspect a genetic or hormonal cause
Specialist doctors in Mumbai say Iqbal's rare condition could be linked to genetic factors passed down in his family, or alternatively to a hormonal imbalance in his body. To pin down the exact underlying cause, doctors are now running a set of advanced clinical tests that simply were not available to him back in West Bengal. A full medical team has been keeping him under round-the-clock observation ever since he arrived, closely tracking every change in his condition and health.
How Iqbal is doing now
Since treatment began in Mumbai, Iqbal's condition has been steadily and visibly improving with each passing day. He is now able to eat normal food again and converse comfortably with the people around him, something that would have been unthinkable during his years in the pond. His mother, Kamiran Bibi, said doctors are hopeful that he will fully recover soon and go on to live a completely normal life like everyone else. Family members recently travelled to meet him and gifted him a pair of black sunglasses, a small but meaningful gesture after everything he has been through.
