Dad's Daughter

No words to express but only silence with a bit of tears.

Disclaimer :  Before you actually step into reading this master piece ,  i would like to claim that this is not my own creation instead i found it on some blog space and that of sharing it here. One of the very touching stories i have read, hope you will enjoy.... Cheers to the author for a brilliant job..

‘you have done a brilliant work Rajesh. You have been given….rrrrhhhhh……Raaaajjjeeeessshhhh………… Raaaajjjeeeessshhhh.’- what!! I woke up from a sudden jerk. ‘Raaajeeessshhh….’…I heard my wife yelling. What’s w/ her? Always yelling for something or the other. I can’t be in peace even in my dreams. Shucks!! Angrily, I kicked my blanket and got down. ‘Raaajesssh….’  ‘Coming Meera..what’s w/ you. Why are you shouting like this..’.


 I hurried down the stairs.  I saw Meera, my sweet(??!!) wife, sitting in the couch giving breakfast to my 7yr old daughter  Achala. Both looked happy, watching TV.  I got confused at the whole scenario. I came running down, expecting some kind of earthquake, but instead here everything was in place. I looked at my wife & daughter. She smiled at me back.  Now, I more got confused, what’s happening here? Am I in a dream?


‘Meera…’
‘Yeah Rajesh…’
‘You called me. In fact yelled.’
‘Yes. You are right!’
‘Everything is fine here right? Why you screamed like that then…’
‘It’s ‘cos it’s going to be 8am now.’


 I couldn’t understand what she was trying to say. Is she playing some kind of prank? Is this the time for all these? I have to be in office by 9am for a meeting.  


 ‘Yes. It’s going to be 8am.Right! So…?’
‘Rajesh, don’t tell me, you forgot…today is 27th ‘
‘27th..What 27th? 


‘Don’t tell me you don’t remember?’
  Meera gave me an ‘I’ll kill you’ look. Is it her birthday? No it’s somewhere at the year end. Is it my daughter’s? No no , we celebrated last month only right. Got it. Should be our Anniversary.


 ‘Hey Meera, How will I forget our Anniversary…’ 
‘Whaattttttt????….Anniversaryyyyy???…..’


 Got it. It’s not our anniversary. Before I get killed…What’s w/ 27th. What ?? what?? Come on Rajesh!! Think. Nothing hit my mind. I looked at my daughter for a clue. She turned her face away. What’s with all women? Why can’t they be straight forward & say things. With so much work pressure, how on earth I am supposed to remember all the dates?. If I say something, then Meera will pick up a fight, and I will miss the meeting, my whole day will be gone. I made up my mind to surrender.  


 ‘Meera, Sorry, I don’t remember. This medicine I am taking for cough, Something happened..my memory is deteriorating ..What’s today?’  Meera doesn’t seem like buying that excuse from me.


 ’Meera, please tell me’ I asked in a pitiable tone..


‘Rajesh..You don’t remember at all?’  I moved my head left & right meaning NO. I kept my face like I am a patient suffering from ‘amnesia'. 


'Rajesh, As part of annual day celebrations, today is 'Daddy's Day' in Acchu's school. I have been telling you for the past 3 weeks. Now don’t tell me you forgot. You already promised that you will go with her to her school'
I couldn’t believe that I accepted for something like that. 'Meeraa..did I??'
'Yes. You did'
‘at what time it starts..?'
'By 8:30am and ends at 1pm'.


Gosh!! 9am!! I have such a critical meeting. How I will attend all these.


“Meera, you could have reminded me yesterday right?’


‘Oh I didn’t remind you? Great. I didn’t call to your office. Or remind you in the evening and before going to bed’


Might be I wouldn’t have heard it. Or slipped out of my memory. What ever!!


'Meera! Can’t you attend all these. Why should I??'
"Rajesh. It’s Daddy's Day!...DADDY'ss!!!!!'
'Oh yeah....but...'
'But what????...'
'errrh....might be some other day...'
'What? You want the school to postpone the function?'
'No..No…actually..what..I am saying is..'
'What Rajesh??? What?? Tell me. You promised Acchu and are you going to disappoint her? '
I stood there totally helpless. I looked at my daughter. She was all dressed up and ready to go. She looked like, she will cry any time. I saw Meera. She gave me a murderous look. I thought for a moment and my mind raced with many calculations. Important meeting. I can’t miss for sure. Half a day is too much. So many deliverables will get affected. I can’t face Meera again if I don’t go. Might be I can postpone the meeting by an hour and for name sake visit that function and escape to office. 


 'Meera, I will go, but I can spend only 1 hour..'
'No...that’s not..'


Before Meera finished the sentence, Acchu rushed to me 'Thanks daddy. 1hour. Mom, 1hour is enough mom. Please don’t fight mom. Daddy, get ready soon..' she nudged me.
 ‘Do you know her school name and the route for the school or you want me to tell???’ Asking that Meera threw me an angry look and left the living room. I rushed up, got ready. Called my manager & told that I got stuck in traffic jam and postponed the meeting to 10am. 


I took Achala to her school. I felt somehow entering the school, ‘cos it’s the 2nd time, I am entering her school. In fact 1st time. I once dropped her outside her school gate. The school had a big playground, Small Park with all kids playing equipments. Some stalls were put up. So many kids with their fathers moved around here & there.  Suddenly I felt some one touching my hand 


‘Are you achala’s daddy?’ – A small kid asked. She had curly hair and bubbly smile. 


‘Yes,,,My Daddy..…’ – Achala responded in an excited tone. And some kids ran towards me and Achala started introducing everyone. 


‘Daddy! this is Rohit, this is zakir, Anis, Sylvia, Divya..’ – I told hello to everyone. 


‘Daddy, Daddy, Zakir is my best friend.’ – I smiled at that cute blue eyed boy. 


‘Uncle, Acchu told that you have so much work and you won’t be able to come. She told she won’t come in today. You don’t have work Uncle?’ – Zakir asked me.


I suddenly felt very bad on how my daughter has understood me. ‘No Zakir, I don’t have work’


‘Daddy, they are calling for the games. ‘ . Zakir ran to his father and waved his hands at me & achala. I took achala by hand and walked towards the stage. They were announcing the 1st game. Fathers will be given a sheet containing questions about their kids.  Fathers have to fill about their kids which will be verified with the kids response.


Achala was all excited about the game and she was all set to go. But I felt shivers. I looked at my daughter. Suddenly, I felt very far from her, and the reality hit me, that I don’t know anything about my very own daughter. I blurted out ‘Acchu..we will attend the next game..This one ..’ She gave me a deep stare. I thought she is going to cry or shout or do something. But instead she pulled out a small paper from her jeans pocket and gave it to me. Completely baffled, I opened the sheet.

My name is Achala. My birthday March 21st. I am 7yrs old. I like butterfly. Superman. Dairy milk. painting. dancing. I am in  1st standard A section. I like Dora. Mango. Apple. Fried rice. Jelly. I don’t like banana. I drink  boost.. I like yellow color. My nick name is ‘Honey dew’


And the list went on with small, small spelling mistakes. I looked at Acchu. ‘Daddy, read it, I know they will keep this game. So I wrote it 2 days back itself, to give you if you come. If they ask anything about me, write there. Ok Now go & attend the game’. Most of the things, my daughter has written & gave me, I never knew anything about it. I suddenly felt a lump in my throat. I went to the stage waved my hand to Acchu and got the question sheet. Since Acchu gave the sheet, I came to know about her & I answered almost all the questions. Then they asked Acchu on stage and asked the questions to her. We got the 2nd highest mark in that game. Acchu came running towards me and hugged me. They gave a ‘toy guitar’. Everyone congratulated us. Thou’ I won that game, I felt like a loser. I know, I don’t deserve this. I don’t know anything about my daughter.
She looked very happy showing that guitar to her best friend, zakir . What a kid she is. Understanding that her dad is totally hopeless and don’t want to let her dad down, before others she prepared that sheet and gave to me. The lump in my throat started getting bigger and my heart became heavy. I caressed her hair. What a beautiful smile she has and such big eyes. Does she miss a wing to get qualified as an angel? I have never admired my daughter or even watched her in all these years. She has that cute dimple of Meera’s as well as her eyes. Does that curling lip edges when she smiles, is mine? How I missed all this in my life.


Achala pulled me to the stalls there and I got some eatables and ballons for her and zakir.. She kept talking about the next game and suddenly my mobile rang. Oops!! Is it already 10am. I looked at Acchu . Suddenly her face became dark. She looked totally upset and asked in an low voice ‘Daddy! You have to leave now?’
 I looked at my mobile. My manager was calling. It’s already 10am. I looked at Acchu. I looked around. All those happy kids with their fathers. I thought about my school days, where my dad used to come for all sports day, annual day, sit with me, cheer me up. Every day morning, while dropping me to school, he will wait near the gate until my head disappear. Evening, he will come & pick me up in his cycle, and I will be telling him all the stories that happened that day in school. 


I saw Acchu. How many untold stories my daughter has kept in her heart to say me? I thought about all those days, where I yearned for a girl child and I wonder, how much of my time I gave her.I pulled her closer, gave a kiss on her fore head ‘No Honey! I am not going. I will be here only…we will attend all games and roam around whole day.ok?’ 


‘Really?’ – She asked in an unbelievable tone.
 ‘Yes sweetz’


‘Thank you Daddy!’ – Achala kissed my cheeks and ran to her friends. School teaches you something or the other always. This time, ‘back to school’ has taught me a wonderful life’s lesson. I called my manager & told that am running high fever and can’t come in today. I know, I can handle things tomorrow. Today my daughter needs me more than anyone can need me in this world. With a lighter heart, I got up; ran towards Acchu, lifted her and gave her a big swing. She erupted into an uncontrollable laughter. The lump in my throat started melting away.

“Hot chocolate” aka “Life”!!!

Well this blog is something for which i really need to have my disclamiers spot on:
Disclaimer: The intellegience behind this post is not mine, what a wonderful thought this post carries; i had an oppurtunity to borrow this thought from one of my acquantinance I hope this post creates a meaninful entity among all my other posts which are totally my sole property. Its time for a cup of coffee folks , reach out for your cups.

It was nice Saturday afternoon we, a group of friends from college, well established in their careers, were discussing about their lives at a class reunion seating on a green grass cushion of Cubbon Park.  Amit says “Buddy things are bad, too much of work at office…can not give enough time to my family”. Rahaul says “ha ha ha….see that is why I am still so happy no family no tension”. Amit says “huh!!! What crap. I know you spend whole night in office and then next day you call me whether there is any opening in my company.” We started laughing. Amit continues “Buddy it is not the family problem, it is the work, the rat race and running behind money attitude”. Chitra says “Yes I do agree that point. But what shall I do. Now market is bad, it is difficult to get a job so need to listen to my boss. Also my company pay is good how I can leave that”. Later the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work, lives and relationships. Danny finally breaks the thread and says “yeah yeah…we all are in a ‘chakra buhu’ need to come out of…lets meet Vijay Sir one day and discuss about that”. So we decided to go visit our old university professor, who was always an inspiration to them.

It was nice house inside IISC campus very nice and peaceful place. Offering us hot chocolate, our professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups.  Some cups were porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. He invited each to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor shared his thoughts.

 “Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. 

While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.”

“The cup that you are drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What each of you really wanted was hot chocolate.  You did not want the cup . . . but you consciously went for the best cups. And soon, you began to eye one another’s cups.”

I said in my mind “Common proff, I mean that is what we want. We struggled so much to get a nice comfortable life”.

There was streak silence and our beloved professor continues “Now friends, please consider this . . .Life is the hot chocolate . . . your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life.”

 “The cup you have does not define, nor does it change, the quality of life you are living. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. Always remember this . . . . . . . God brews the hot chocolate, He does not choose the cup.”

He looked at me with a wink in his eye, “ya I know you do not believe in God….so for you it is the destiny”.

He continues, “The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have!!”

Danny added “Steve Jobs says …Stay Hugry, Stay Foolish”.

Proff says “yes very true, that is for knowledge not for success”.

He continues, “Live simply ...Care deeply...Speak kindly...Love generously...and if you can love generously something the success will come and will knock you door and will bring happiness along. So do not chase the success be the best and try to excel”

We all are dumb stuck. He broke the silence and said loudly “Enjoy your hot chocolate gentlemen!!! Remember, the richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least. By the way did you guys watched ‘3 idiots’…..’”

Nanna Patashale

Nanna Pattashale: Human Memory, wow! Such a wonderful creation of GOD. It’s high time that I have to appreciate that fact and thank GOD for his every small creation which makes life so fruitful and worthy. And it was a day to recall and cherish the most wonderful period of my life, I am feeling short of words to write anything about the topic I have chosen, because it is something which is so very close to my heart and sometimes too much of happiness makes your mouth shut, hence I am just gonna jot down something my memory holds as the topic can easily fit it any large book. At the same time I am happy enough that my memory is not a volatile one...

  Well, where to start? , there are so many special things and little sad bits as well. At this moment I just want to dress up with my school uniform with a bit of mud stuck onto it, with a ugly little watch tied to my hand, with a hair style which only smells raw coconut oil, with a shoe lays untied, and running behind a bus to catch it all the way while struggling to get my breadth back and finally boarding it just to stand on those edge of the foot boards waving my hands at all those walking on the streets and starring at those cute girls as well J and much more things.… I think at this moment it all seems fine on paper and on my webpage and the only right I have is to cherish them and preserve them for a very long time to come...I am sure each one of you also feels the same, going back to childhood is always the top priority on anyones wish list and so is mine.

I dedicate this memory to one very important person who has influenced my life so much with his simplicity, humbleness and the passion towards what he does and more over such a down to earth person he was its my very lovable class teacher who directed me for 3 continuous years with so much of love towards his students it’s our M.V. Prakash sir (M.V.P sir)  sadly my unlucky post is not in a position to reach him as my Sir passed away last year and as tears roll out of my eyes I sincerely pray that his soul attains at most peace and I hope my prayers reach him and convey that he is always remembered  and loved ,and  not to forget those naughty class mates who played a significant role to create such wonderful pages of my life , this one goes out for them as well.

Always nice to see a old buddy's message isn't it?, and here it comes as an invitation to have a get together . Wow! I was thrilled to see it, it got the message on 14^th August I was travelling out with my colleagues, and the plan was to meet the next day i.e. Independence Day at our very old Dr .Ambedkar Stadium , I thought it’s going to be double damaka tomorrow. I was waiting for sunrise. There I go to celebrate three reasons, First Get together which later became Get no one together :-)… Second a grand 10 years of completion , of my friendship with my close buddy , Third Independence Day … Hmmm am I creating a lot of hype? … I don’t know what I am doing, just filling pages? Anyways I want to get started, a tiring last day, very reluctant to get up from bed but still had to, because it’s a promise that I had to fulfill. Here I go with a lot of anticipation, with my old buddy I stepped into the stadium, and my school is too long a distance from my home so I had to cover a lot of earth with is 4 kms. :-) Goose bumps! , After listening to those drum sounds with some great Kannada classical songs it was the most expected one. A great sight which took me straight 10 years back, with a lot of activites on ground , it remembered me of two things one was Chetan Bhagat's wonderfull speech at Symboisis which was proved to be so true on this day as i choose to go back to school , and those sports made me recall my childhood where i had two prizes one for running race and another for some different sport which i don't remember . I wanted to go back to school :(... I was very eager to get a glimpse of all my teachers with my camera at a complete zoom. But 10x was too less to capture the greats.  Shot some wonderful pictures and it was getting late just to realize that none of my classmates had arrived. 

And next comes the sad part of day, the whole day was screwed up with this disaster, but still a rare hope that someone might turn up, so finally we were 4 out of expected 20 who happened to keep up our words and there we will go with a Flory of conversations for the next 4 hours, we all went 10 years back and as I mentioned earlier it was a grand 10 years of celebration of our friendship, what a milestone to achieve. And at last a tight hug is what every friend expects … A conversation which was so intense, we probably went back to discuss every incident of every hour of every day of our 3 most beautiful years.  I just want to take an oath of writing a book on this, and hopefully I do it one day. What next? You have to just wait for the next, and that’s my book ….With each day, each ones experience been documented, hopefully I turn my memories into words and into expressions and bring it in front of my friends.