RAHIM YAR KHAN: Seeing his physique and looks, one thinks Aurangzeb is a primary school student. But one hardly comes to terms with the shocking fact when they learn that the boy is 16-year old and that he is a freshman at the Government Khwaja Fareed Postgraduate College, Rahim Yar Khan.

The teenage boy from Basti Ashraf Din of Mauza Goth Rana, 16 kilometres from Rahim Yar Khan, is pursuing his higher education dreams despite facing many hurdles because of his small body and short height. He wants to become an Urdu teacher.

Born to the family of a poor labourer, Aurangzeb is at number six of seven siblings.

He told Dawn he had been interested in studies since his early classes while his other brothers and sisters even did not complete their primary school.

Aurangzeb said he did not remember much about his early classes katchi and pakki (nursery and prep) but his father told him that he was much interested in going to school at that stage. He completed his primary school from the Government Girls Primary School, Basti Jam Allah Dad, and passed class eight exams from the Government Elementary School, Shahgarh. Later, he had to travel six kilometres daily to reach the Government High School, Taranda Sawaye Khan.

After passing matriculation, he got admission to intermediate classes at the Khwaja Fareed College.

The biggest hurdle Aurangzeb faces is to commute to the college from his village. His cousins give him ride on a motorcycle but he often misses classes three times a week. He cannot drive the regular motorcycle while his poor family cannot afford a motorcycle tailored to his needs.

His dietary needs are as per his age. He takes a half bread (chapati) in breakfast and a full bread each in lunch and dinner. He said two years back he visited a child specialist at the Shaikh Zayed Medical College Hospital with his father but when doctors prescribed pathological tests, the process stopped as his family was unable to bear the high cost of the tests.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2020