Every afternoon, rows of children gather on a parking lot near Lal Qila in Delhi. Some are barely six or seven years old. They sit quietly as 18-year-old Sakshi begins the day’s lesson — alphabets, numbers, simple maths.For the children, it may look like an ordinary class.But for Sakshi, the place means everything.Just a few years ago, she was sitting exactly where they sit now, trying to learn things most children begin much earlier in life.How Did Sakshi Start Studying In The Parking Lot?Sakshi first saw what looked like a classroom in 2022 when she joined Than Singh Ki Pathshala, a learning initiative run by Head Constable Than Singh.Before that, education had never really been part of daily life at home.Her family had migrated from Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh and settled in a nearby slum area in Delhi when she was very young. Her father, who has been unwell for years, cannot read or write. Her mother, Poona Bai, works washing utensils in households and earns around Rs 10,000 to Rs 11,000 a month — the family’s only source of income.No one in the family had studied beyond Class 4.Then came the parking-lot classroom.Than Singh first taught Sakshi the basics and later helped enrol her into a formal school in Class 7. Along with admission came books, a school bag, and support from teachers who helped her catch up.Why Is Sakshi’s Class 10 Result Special?Earlier this year, Sakshi became the first girl in her family to pass Class 10.But instead of quietly moving ahead, she made a decision that surprised many around her — she returned to the same parking lot where her own learning journey had started.Only this time, she returned as a teacher.At home, her study setup was simple: an upturned plastic milk crate used as a bookshelf and a wooden slab serving as a study desk under a single working bulb.Her mother recalled how seriously Sakshi took her studies.“She would come home every day and go straight to that corner,” Poona Bai said.“She sat there for hours trying to catch up. I studied only until Class 4 and even that I barely remember. Her father has never held a pen in his life. Sakshi is the only one in this family who has gone this far.”“We will be grateful to Than Singh for the rest of our lives,” she added.Why Did Sakshi Decide To Teach Other Children?For Sakshi, teaching the children is personal.“When I see children coming in, I think about myself,” she said.“The subjects that frightened me, especially maths, I started getting better at by teaching. I wanted to show them that there is a way through.”She said she often thinks about how difficult it was to start learning late and constantly feel behind others.“I started in Class 7 and had so much to catch up,” she said.“These kids are starting from the very beginning, with someone to guide them. That itself is everything.”What Does Sakshi Want To Become In Future?Sakshi now dreams of becoming an IPS officer.She says the inspiration came from the man in khaki who first placed a book in her hands and showed her that education could change the direction of a life.And every afternoon, in that same parking lot near Lal Qila, she is trying to do the same for someone else.(With TOI inputs)