For Father’s Day

As a child, I always turned to my dad ‘coz he was so so kind and gentle. Sometimes, my mom would scream at me, but my dad has never raised his voice ( and certainly not his hand) at me ever. I lived a life of total freedom. My parents turned me loose in a library and I finished the entire kids’ section of the library. Then my parents would get me to join another library and the whole process would repeat itself. My parents never restricted my reading habits. They never told me I had to study well or read certain must-read books. I read whatever I liked whenever I liked. I once asked my dad “Appa the other kids’ dads tell them to do their homework. Why don’t you ever tell me?” I think my dad just smiled and when I usually got 5th rank in class, ( from my days in PSBB KKNagar), he never said “Why didn’t you come first”. 

Although he had got an all-India rank of 28 in his IIT – JEE, he never once said I had to follow in his footsteps. I just did whatever I wanted! As I grew older, he didn’t tell me which children to talk to and which ones to avoid. I found out myself, the hard way. Sometimes, I’ve asked him “Appa, why didn’t you be more strict with me”. I tell him I would have achieved big things if I had gotten more guidance. But I think in my dad’s eyes, I was always a star. When I couldn’t deal with some people, he has always been there for me to fall back on. There are days when I have called him as many as 30 times a day because I have been so disturbed and only he could calm me down. I feel my dad is the kindest, most precious soul I know. Nobody could love another human being as much as I love my dad! I wish him and my mom long and healthy lives ‘coz I love them SO SO much and words are never enough!

Pic of my dad taken by me recently