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Tragic Laxmi Yadav is serving a life sentence – a woman forever trapped in a young girl’s body.

Here she manages a gentle smile, when talking to the Sunday People, but the 20-year-old struggles to keep her spirits up.

Standing at just 3ft 3in and weighing a tiny three stone, a rare hormone disorder has robbed Laxmi of a normal life. She has not grown since she was five and wears clothes for six-year-olds.

She watched her friends growing into women, all the time knowing she will never go through puberty. They can look forward to becoming wives and mums while Laxmi is condemned to a life of ridicule and fear.

She said: “I’ve been bullied all my adult life for being small. I rarely go out as I’m scared I will be harmed.

"Once, a child from our community was abducted and taken in a van. I’ve been terrified ever since. And if I see a van lurking around I run home.

“I fear I’ll be sexually attacked, which is rife in India. Being so small I’d be an easy target. So I never go anywhere alone.”

Laxmi’s security guard dad Bahadur, 58, earns 8,000 rupees (£88) a month, nowhere near the £670 he would have needed for human growth hormone, which could have helped counter her condition if administered before she turned 16 or 17.

Bahadur and mum Parvati could just afford a health trial for Laxmi’s older brother Azad, 22, who suffers the same condition, but not for their daughter.

Fortunately Laxmi, of Gurgoan, near India’s capital New Delhi, thrived by going to the same high school as Azad and their younger sister, Suman, 15, who is of ­normal height.

Laxmi said: “I was lucky to have school friends who never bullied me and often protected me. But when I stepped away from my family or circle of friends people were always nasty.

"I hate meeting new people as it hurts getting stared at and bullied every time. I’ve now learnt to ignore them and sometimes I’ll be rude and tell them what I think.”

(Image: Cover Asia Press / Shariq Allaqaband)

Laxmi left school this year with top marks and wants to study a computer course at college but, physically, life is difficult.

She said: “I’ve watched all my friends grow into young women and their bodies change. I’m not growing on any front. I should be wearing a bra by now but I don’t have breasts and I haven’t started menstruating. I’ll never be able to have children.

“I sometimes think about the normal life I could have had and it makes me sad.

“I’d have fun and independence, and enjoy a life I see other girls my age having. But I talk to my sister and mum when I’m sad and they help motivate me again. My mother is very supportive. I love her very much.”

Laxmi is best friends with her brother and sister and will go nowhere without one of them by her side.

She doesn’t like the cinema or cafes and prefers to plays games on her laptop or mobile and watch TV soaps or films.

She also hates shopping and would rather spend her cash on a new laptop or phone instead of “girly stuff”.

Mum Parvati, 52, buys her clothes and said: “I bring a ­selection of clothes home for her to choose from. It seems to work and means Laxmi doesn’t have to be embarrassed out and about in shops.

“Laxmi doesn’t want to marry and refuses to consider meeting any men who could one day ­become a loving husband.”

(Image: Cover Asia Press / Shariq Allaqaband)

Laxmi explained: “I’m frightened of putting my future into the hands of a bad person. I don’t want anyone in my life who might mistreat me then disown me when he wishes. I can’t have kids anyway, so what’s the point?”

Suman encourages her little big sister to leave the house and socialise. And last week Laxmi was offered and eventually accepted a job as a sales assistant paying 5,000 rupee (£55) a month.

She said: “I need a job, my family would love the extra income and I want to be a financial support to my family. I’m scared but I’m tough and I’ll overcome my fears to do this.”

Bosky Arora, 33, owner of The Lisa Collection store, said: “Laxmi is a wonderful confident girl, I hope I can help her gain some independence.

“We must help everyone where we can. And anyone with a disability should be helped to feel as normal as possible.”

Laxmi added: “I’ll come with my sister for the first few weeks. But I’ll have to get used to it eventually.

"I’m excited at the thought of having a purpose; coming out every day to earn money will make me feel very proud. I hope this will bring me a lot of joy.”

Dr Ritesh Gupta, an endocrinologist and assistant director, at Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, said: “Available treatments are much more effective when ­started at an early stage.

“Laxmi will remain as she is unless there is a proper investigation done on her and she’s ­treated accordingly.