A Son’s Sacrifice in Kashmir Heights

Witnessing cruelty at home, Aijaz Khan guided his mother to safety and built a life of perseverance and purpose in South Kashmir’s forests.

- Gowher Bhat

reached Gadool, a small village high in Kokernag, on one bitterly cold noon.

The air cut through layers of wool, and the village stood still, as if it were holding its breath.

Children here grow up fast. Life asks a lot from them, and they learn early how to keep moving forward.

About twenty years ago, Aijaz Khan was born into this hamlet, shaped from the start by its demanding life.

His boyhood — diverged sharply from typical village life. While friends chased studies or carefree hours, Aijaz faced terror at home.

His father was cruel, and his anger often fell on his mother. Violence became part of daily life, and moments of calm grew rare and brief.

By fourteen, home no longer felt like a refuge. His mother carried wounds on her body and deep within herself. Aijaz watched, helpless, as the place that once protected him fell apart.

“I was still a child,” he told me, “but I knew something was deeply wrong.” Then came a moment that would change the course of his life.

Aijaz gathered his courage and spoke to his mother with care. He asked her to leave the marriage and build a new life if it could offer safety and security, even though he knew he would be left to face life alone.

“You deserve peace,” he remembers telling her. “You should move forward with your life, and not stay only because of me.”

That conversation stayed with him.

“If you stay just for my sake,” he said, “you will slowly lose yourself. And when that happens, I lose you too.”