📖 Chapter 1
The Boy Everyone Looked Down On
Rahim was born in a small village where poverty was a common shadow.
His house was made of tin, and when it rained, water dropped from the roof onto the floor. Still, Rahim woke up every morning with hope in his eyes.
His father worked as a day laborer. Some days there was work, some days there was none. Rahim's mother tried her best to feed the family with very little money. Many nights, Rahim went to sleep with an empty stomach, but he never complained.
At school, Rahim was different from other boys.
His clothes were old. His school bag was torn.
Some students laughed at him.
"Poor boy, why do you even come to school?" one of them said.
Rahim stayed silent. He lowered his head, but inside his heart, a fire was burning. He believed that education was the only way to change his life.
One day, the teacher asked a question in class.
No one answered.
Slowly, Rahim raised his hand.
The class laughed again.
"Can he even speak English?" they whispered.
But when Rahim spoke, his answer was correct.
The teacher smiled and said,
"Very good, Rahim. You have a bright future."
That moment changed something inside him.
On his way home, Rahim looked at the sky and whispered to himself,
"One day, I will prove everyone wrong. I will change my life."
That night, under a dim oil lamp, Rahim opened his old notebook and started studying again—while the whole village slept.
This was only the beginning of his long journey.