Trailblazing

MAN OF THE MOMENT: Zaiyan Khan... flanked by family and well-wishers

It was a proud day for us. The chubby little boy, who grew up before our eyes into a fine young man, today proved that he is much more than brawn and brisk dance steps.

Zaiyan celebrates his success with pedas 

Zaiyan Khan has passed high school with flying colours, scoring an astounding 79 per cent aggregate. What is more, he has attained distinction in computer science with 187 out of 200 marks – an incredible 93.5 per cent!
The Maharashtra Board HSC results declared yesterday shall doubtless remain a watershed event for the Khan household, particularly for doting grandmom Razia Khan. She invited them all to the Garden this morning – Zaiyan with papa Sarfaraz and mother Tahira – to celebrate the occasion over endless rounds of fresh pedas. For Razia to consider sharing her happiness with us was very touching and indeed, a rare privilege for all present this morning.

Shekhawat does a little jig with Zaiyan

But the most poignant moment was when Khatoon Baig steered through the crowd and hugged Tahira – the silent force behind the boy’s success. Sarfaraz was relatively reticent, but Zaiyan was all over the place, always smiling and gracefully acknowledging the many congratulatory pats and hand shakes.

Tahira gets a hug from Khatoon Baig

That he made it a point to respectfully bow down and receive the blessings of elders like Teja Singh Bhambra and Ved Prakash Grover revealed a rare regard for age and the strength of his family values. And yet, this was the same boy who playfully invited Shekhawat to perform a celebratory jig (sans music) just for kicks!
To many who know the family well, Zaiyan’s success is personal. A part of it has rubbed off on us. What more can one ask for than begin the day on such a positive note? His sights are now on B.Tech. On our part, we shall always be there, egging Zaiyan on to score still better, far outdoing himself and bringing home many more laurels. Yes, he can!
Jagmohan Papneja:
Heartiest congratulations to grandmom, Razia Khan and the entire family on Zaiyan Khan's remarkable success in his HSC exam. Such a good result is the outcome of hard work. Well done, Zaiyan. And keep it up.
Harish Wadhwa:
Zaiyan, your Gangnam-style dance is worth the pic and you need to enjoy this moment. Well done and God bless you to achieve even higher milestones in future. Keep it up. Thanks for the lovely peda too.