“My forefathers were barbers and I was destined to follow in their footsteps. My parents wanted me to get an education and find a job, but because of my own mistakes and carelessness, I dropped out of school before I could do my matriculation.

I never had an inclination towards education and I was always skipping school. My father did not want me to become a barber but did not have a choice. My grandfather came to Rawalpindi from Sialkot and became a barber here and though my father was a skilled barber, he did not take me under his apprenticeship. It was not because he was annoyed with me, he just did not want me in the shop when his customers came. He wanted me to keep a distance. I was trained by a friend of my father’s and I learnt the trade in six months. It is not an easy job and is time consuming. We work for over 13 to 14 hours and we have to work while standing. I earn around Rs800 to Rs1,000 a day.

I have fixed clients who want to have me do their haircuts and shaves. Customers these days want fancy haircuts and shaves. I have polished my skills because like every other profession, this work also needs constant practice. We have to keep up with the latest trends. I even went abroad for some time but it was not worth it. I work in my own shop in Saddar, which is the heart of Rawalpindi. I can earn more if I have a bigger shop. I have three children, two of whom go to school. My eldest son is in class 10. I do not want my children to be barbers. I want them to study and not waste time like I did. I hope my dream of providing them the best education comes true.”

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2017