The son of an unemployed driver who has outclassed nearly 2.5 million students to top secondary school exams in the highly competitive southern state of Karnataka talked to us along with his parents about their struggles and ambition. Fifteen-year-old Umar Khan, son of illiterate parents, scored 97.83% in the exams and has been widely praised for his hard work. In his neighborhood, the power supply is intermittent and Umar said he mostly had to study under the light of a solar lantern. His parents said the pandemic was a terrifying period for them with father jobless and no family income even for rations. The house rent was pending for many months and living a daily struggle there seems little or no hope for the future. However Umar's result has brought some relief and joy. We hope he will be responsible and get a good job so that he can look after his sister, the boy's mother wept at our Centre