My wife called, 'How long will you
be with that newspaper? Will you come here & make your darling daughter eat
her food?’
I tossed the paper away & rushed to the scene.
My only
daughter, Sindu, looked frightened; tears were welling up in her eyes. In front
of her was a bowl filled to its brim with curd rice.
Sindu is a nice child,
quite intelligent for her age.
I cleared my throat & picked up the
bowl. 'Sindu darling, why don't you take a few mouthful of this curd rice? Just
for Dad's sake dear.
Sindu softened a bit & wiped her tears with the back
of her hands. 'Ok, Dad.. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole
lot of this.
But, you should...' Sindu hesitated. 'Dad, if I eat this entire
curd rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?'
'Promise'. I covered the
pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, & clinched the deal. Now I
became a bit anxious.
'Sindu, dear, you shouldn't insist on getting a
computer or any such expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of money right
now. Ok?'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive'. Slowly &
painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity. I was silently angry with my
wife & my mother for forcing my child to eat something that she
detested.
After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes
wide with expectation. All our attention was on her.
'Dad, I want to have
my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.
'Atrocious!' shouted my
wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved off?
Impossible!' 'Never in our
family!' My mother rasped. 'She has been watching too much of TV. Our culture is
getting totally spoiled with this TV programs!'
'Sindu, darling, why
don't you ask for something else? We’ll be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven
head.' 'Please, Sindu, why don't you try to understand our feelings?' I tried to
plead with her.
'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that
Curd Rice'. Sindu was in tears. '& you promised to grant me whatever I ask
for.
Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who told me the
story of King Harishchandra, ]its moral that we should honor our
promises no matter what?'
It was time for me to
call the shots. 'Our promise must be kept.' 'Are you out of your mind?' chorused
my mother & wife. 'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn
to honour her own. Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.'
With her head
clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face & her eyes looked big &
beautiful.
On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a sight to
watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom. She turned around &
waved.
I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy alighted from a car
& shouted, 'Sinduja, please wait for me!'
What struck me was the
hairless head of that boy. 'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought.
'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!' Without introducing
herself, a lady got out of the car, & continued, 'that boy who is walking
along with your daughter is my son Harish. He is suffering from...
leukemia'.
She paused to muffle her sobs. 'Harish could not attend the
school for the whole of the last month. He lost all his hair due to the side
effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to come back to school fearing the
unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates. Sinduja visited him last
week & promised him that she will take care of the teasing
issue.
But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the
sake of my son!
Sir, you & your wife are blessed to have such a noble
soul as your daughter..'
I stood transfixed & then, I wept. 'My
little Angel, you are teaching me how selfless real love is!'
“The
happiest people are not those who live on their own
terms…………
but are those
who change their terms for the ones whom they
love”
be with that newspaper? Will you come here & make your darling daughter eat
her food?’
I tossed the paper away & rushed to the scene.
My only
daughter, Sindu, looked frightened; tears were welling up in her eyes. In front
of her was a bowl filled to its brim with curd rice.
Sindu is a nice child,
quite intelligent for her age.
I cleared my throat & picked up the
bowl. 'Sindu darling, why don't you take a few mouthful of this curd rice? Just
for Dad's sake dear.
Sindu softened a bit & wiped her tears with the back
of her hands. 'Ok, Dad.. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole
lot of this.
But, you should...' Sindu hesitated. 'Dad, if I eat this entire
curd rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?'
'Promise'. I covered the
pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, & clinched the deal. Now I
became a bit anxious.
'Sindu, dear, you shouldn't insist on getting a
computer or any such expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of money right
now. Ok?'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive'. Slowly &
painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity. I was silently angry with my
wife & my mother for forcing my child to eat something that she
detested.
After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes
wide with expectation. All our attention was on her.
'Dad, I want to have
my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.
'Atrocious!' shouted my
wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved off?
Impossible!' 'Never in our
family!' My mother rasped. 'She has been watching too much of TV. Our culture is
getting totally spoiled with this TV programs!'
'Sindu, darling, why
don't you ask for something else? We’ll be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven
head.' 'Please, Sindu, why don't you try to understand our feelings?' I tried to
plead with her.
'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that
Curd Rice'. Sindu was in tears. '& you promised to grant me whatever I ask
for.
Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who told me the
story of King Harishchandra, ]its moral that we should honor our
promises no matter what?'
It was time for me to
call the shots. 'Our promise must be kept.' 'Are you out of your mind?' chorused
my mother & wife. 'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn
to honour her own. Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.'
With her head
clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face & her eyes looked big &
beautiful.
On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a sight to
watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom. She turned around &
waved.
I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy alighted from a car
& shouted, 'Sinduja, please wait for me!'
What struck me was the
hairless head of that boy. 'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought.
'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!' Without introducing
herself, a lady got out of the car, & continued, 'that boy who is walking
along with your daughter is my son Harish. He is suffering from...
leukemia'.
She paused to muffle her sobs. 'Harish could not attend the
school for the whole of the last month. He lost all his hair due to the side
effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to come back to school fearing the
unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates. Sinduja visited him last
week & promised him that she will take care of the teasing
issue.
But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the
sake of my son!
Sir, you & your wife are blessed to have such a noble
soul as your daughter..'
I stood transfixed & then, I wept. 'My
little Angel, you are teaching me how selfless real love is!'
“The
happiest people are not those who live on their own
terms…………
but are those
who change their terms for the ones whom they
love”
too gud sonu... keep posting... 