She was thinking of the time when she got through her annual examination for 8th grade. She wanted to study further, but the secondary school was 12 kilometers away from her village, and transport was very expensive. ‘We won’t be able to manage’, her father shook head in despair and ended the conversation. However, she did not lose heart. The whole family, including her uncles, got together again, and finally decided to send her to school. She started going to school after a week or so. However, nobody in the family was sure that she would be able to complete her education up to secondary level. It seemed something next to impossible.

However, soon she heard good news. It was announced in the village that an NGO – Bedari – was offering scholarships to girls studying in post-primary level classes. She talked to her mother, and they both went to meet Bedari Volunteer – Mr. Hameed Anjum. From that day onwards, she had got rid of her fears of dropping out of her school.

As she was thinking of the day when she received her books and uniform from Bedari Volunteer, the wagon stopped and she was jolted out of her reverie. She was at the gate of her school. She entered and went straight to her classroom, which was actually no more her class room as the newly promoted girls to 10th grade were there. However, Sidra’s classmates were gathered at a notice board. She moved swiftly to the board, and making her way through the bunch of girls, started looking for her roll number. Her eyes stopped at her roll number, and followed that row. Next to her roll number was her name, and then there was one word ‘Passed’. She could not believe it. She had got through her examination. She had completed her secondary education. Her eyes became misty. She could not see any further.

‘Sidra…! What happened?’ shouted somebody … perhaps one of her classmates. ‘Stupid… you have passed’, the same voice shouted again. Sidra tried to smile through her tears and said, ‘yes I know’.