Being a Pathan could make life tough. This was a lesson I learned in school while facing a challenging time. Before I share my experience with bullying, I deem it necessary to explain what it means to be a Pathan. We may seem a little old-school, or even paradoxical to some extent, but we're just not the liberal types. For example, in the current era where tight clothes have a grip over the fashion world, we still prefer easy and vintage clothing. But we do not oppose the idea of fashion or open clothing. 

I have been enrolled as the first student from my tribe in our country's finest school. I’ve been here for two years now, but life hasn’t been easy ever since. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I only have one friend here, someone who understands my situation, facing similar bullying. On my very first day, I was asked to introduce myself, and when I mentioned I belonged to Swabi, I immediately saw people’s expressions changing. I felt this small, dismissive smirk as if they were confused about what I was doing in such a big, lavish school. At that very moment, I received a bad vibe from all, and I knew I was going to have a tough time.

As time went on, my hairstyle and fashion sense started bothering them. People often made negative comments about my taste in music and similar interests. I wasn’t bothered at first, but when my classmates, along with seniors, started trolling me, I felt a little disheartened. I would try my level best to overlook their rude behavior, but despite many tries, I just couldn’t relate to their mindset. Maybe this affected their connection with me, and they began to troll me relentlessly for being a village boy.

I still tried to remain calm and act normal, but one day, one of my classmates crossed a line I couldn’t ignore. That was when he trolled my family in his so-called jokes. I couldn’t remain that sweet boy anymore. I felt enraged by his joke. While I certainly don't condone violence, I rushed towards him and couldn’t hold back my punch. In a moment, blood was gushing out of his nose. For this act of violence, I received two weeks’ detention and a warning letter, but the emotional toll was much heavier than the punishment I had received.

That day and since, I have stopped trying to connect with people. Except that one friend who has been mocked for his accent. It’s hard not to feel lonely, especially when it feels like no one else understands. I was far away from my village, and whenever I contacted my parents, I would present everything as normal. To this very day, I have not even given them a glimpse of what has been happening in my school.
The bullying I’ve faced, and continue to face, has taught me some crucial lessons: it’s that victims of bullying are not the problem. It is those who make assumptions about others before bothering to know them who are. It is for them to realize how their lack of empathy and negative comments harm others. Not only in my school, but for sure, there are other schools where people are constantly judged and bullied for something beyond their control. Yet, we choose to remain silent, not because we are powerless, but because we choose to bear the weight of their judgment in ways they don’t care to see.

From my experience, I have learned that speculation is the destructive practice of society. We’re all just people who deserve respect, no matter where we are from or how we represent ourselves. I feel it is my responsibility to raise awareness against this social norm because, along with me, there are others who are constantly being trolled for their looks or background.
Never feel discouraged when people assume your cultural background or the way you dress. They have limited themselves from experiencing the richness that diversity and cultural differences bring. They are narrow-minded because they form opinions so quickly without truly knowing the whole story.

In the end, I would like to say that the only way to shift their narrative about people like us is to speak up and let them know who we actually are and what we are truly capable of. I hope that my experience can help others see that it’s time to stop judging based on labels and backgrounds.