Father's Day- Greatest Gifts

When the Sens with some  Sensibilities started writing their first blog on 1^st February 2015, who knew one day they will do the first hundred in less than two years and then the going got slow but they did not stop it completely. Here we are today, after almost seven plus years, sharing our 250^th page with our readers. Thank you for being such encouraging and appreciative folks whose heartwarming comments kept us going on and on. So, today, I present to you a bit from the past, something I have written earlier and to it have added a second part which has never been shared before with anyone other than the trio of MSD.

Image Courtesy: Joseph Joseph

Part 1

“How did you do in your final exams this year, young man?” I looked up at my father’s friend who, instead of worrying about the prices of hilsa and rohu in the fish market, seemed more concerned about my scores. With complete confidence, I replied, “62 percent, Uncle, fourth in class.” My father just kept quiet even though his ten year old son had just propelled himself from almost the bottom of the class to fourth at the top.

My father had always been biased towards me. He put me in one of the best schools in Delhi but kept my sister in Kendriya Vidyalaya. He put his money on me even though my sister was a much brighter student. At eight years of age, I had been caught copying my dad’s signature by none other than my mother; I had often lied about stomach ache and headaches just to stay at home on days when I had not done my homework; I had stolen coins from his pockets ….none of this stopped my father from believing that his son had some bright spark and would turn around in life someday. Everyone, including my mother, had given up on me but my father would tell everyone, “One day my son will do well. You just wait and see.” 

I managed to get History Honours in college and told my father that I would join the Civil Services. My father was pleased but I spent the next five years in college more on the football field than in classrooms prompting my friends to joke that I would walk into IFS- Indian Football Service. My father paid a king’s ransom for my admission to special classes for Civil Service preparation but the best I could clear were the first two hurdles of written exams(Prelims and Mains) but missed clearing the interviews a couple of times. 

My father passed away in the year 2000, still nursing the hope that his son would do well. He never said anything to me but I always felt that somewhere deep inside there was a tinge of sadness for the son who never shone. 

Nearly 10 years had passed when my wife and I got an invitation to preside over the Annual Day Celebrations of my daughter’s school as she had topped the nation in the All India CBSE Examination in the science stream. Every year the school used to invite the topper’s parents to address the audience consisting of students, teachers and parents as part of the celebrations. As I walked towards the podium, just could not help remembering my father as I spoke… 

“Today as I stand here, I am reminded of my father, 35 years ago.

My father would get a letter from the school almost every year just as we got one this year.

Each year the letter would be signed by the principal of the school, as it is today.

Every year he was asked to come to the school, as we have today.

Every year my father would go to the school auditorium, as we have come here today.

This is where the similarities end. In my dad’s letter would be written that his son had to get this much of additional marks in Hindi, Mathematics and Science in the final examination if he wished to get promoted to the next class. Not here today.

My father would be a sad man on those days….not here today.

I am however certain that wherever my dad is today, he will be looking down as a happy and proud man, as I am today.

My daughter has given me the greatest gift in the world by repaying my debt to my Dad.”

The audience stood up to applaud the speech and I looked at my daughter once and then skywards and smiled.

Part 2

Now what could the father do for the daughter who had made him so happy and proud? He thought and thought…and thought even more. He walked through the stores in the malls where expensive objects of beauty were on display but nothing seemed to strike the right note. Everything there had a price tag and he was looking for something that was priceless and no money could ever buy. He would lie restless at night till an idea stuck him for a gift….the greatest gift for the best daughter in the world. He kept the idea to himself but started working towards it. A couple of mails and reminders led to meeting with a few people, some pleas and persistence followed. From initial outright denial to later agreeing to try to agree to send the request message to the right person was a journey the father endured anxiously. An uneventful fortnight followed and soon the waiting gave way to giving up of hope...I am possibly asking too much! Then out of nowhere came a telephone call….

Hello Mr. Sen. Your letter is ready. Should we post it at your address or will you pick it up?

Please keep it with you Ma’am. I will come and collect it myself…

There was no way he was going to let the postal service play hide and seek with his fortune. So at the appointed date and much ahead of time, he reached the iconic office where a call from the reception gave him an entrance to the visitor’s lounge where he saw the history of India’s most trusted brand unfold on the screen there. In some time, a bearer in white overalls walked in, called out his name and handed him an envelope that was sealed. The father touched his forehead with the envelope in obeisance and put it away safely in his bag and rushed home immediately. The daughter had just returned from her college and was chatting with her mother when the father entered the scene and handed the sealed envelope to his daughter…

Here’s my gift for you, my darling.

The excited daughter opened the envelope with care and found a letter inside. She opened the folds of the letter and was completely speechless…..it was a congratulatory note to her by a person revered and respected by all…..

Happy Father’s Day…My daughter made her father happy and, unknowingly, made her father’s father happy and then the father gave her a gift that hopefully will never fade, never  lose value and be ranked among her most precious gifts.

SS