I still remember you on that two wheeler . Our scooter was a beautiful green and I'd grin from the front for my mother to take a picture as if I was on trip to the space in a rocket. That vehicle holds a special place. For years, I was dropped to school in that vehicle and brought back the same way .
I've known many fathers, many many of them but none like you and this I say, without a bias. You've always been understanding, perfectly liberal and a support. I don't know of any other daughter who had a childhood like mine. I can never forget how you woke me each morning before school, picked me on your lap, placed me on that table by the basin and made me brush , then made me memorise table before exams while i did a little pee pee and else and then poured boiling water down my body and then made me wear my school uniform and ultimately pleated my hair ,while my mother fed me breakfast. And the three of us were so perfectly used to this routine and that if ever you travelled out of Nagaland, Ma would make me wear my right school shoe on my left and vice versa and I'd scream if she ever tried to run the comb through my superbly curly hair. No one could replace you when it came to getting me ready for school. You're a darling and I adore you.
And then came boarding school and I missed you much while I hopelessly tried to tie shoe laces each morning and make it to school in perfect time. There again, you were encouraging about everything and you supported me financially and otherwise through school conferences, exchanges and everything that made my school life so much brighter.
But you were never blatant,never obvious of your love. I suppose I take this quality from you, when it comes to expressing emotions for closed ones. Nonchalance would be the perfect word . There is this one incident which is still very lucid in my mind which I was greatly disheartened by at that time, of course now I only laugh at it. So a family friend who had built a new house and invited you over to go have a look and when you had a look at one of the rooms , you had said " I would love something like this for Shruti". I, of course later got the news from my friend who was shifting in and was she so thrilled by your statement that she was dying to tell me how loving my father is,poor girl was so touched if she only knew what you told me later. Much to my disappointment , when I confronted you about the same , you said to me in perfect nonchalance "I only said that because that room had so much sunlight coming in that I wont ever have to wake you up. You're getting heavy y'know". One can only fathom how disappointed I was when I heard that, but today, I cherish that and I only laugh at myself for being so naive .
Your sense of humour is invincible including your dialogue about getting a stamp when I wanted your consent on getting a tattoo. There are just a few things in life you've said no to, at least of those I've asked for , so if you've turned out the tattoo idea, I guess I just have to listen and give up on convincing because that's the wisest thing to do and the most respectable thing to do.
You were always in favour of my argument whenever I fought with Ma; at all times when Ma was away , you did your best at the kitchen and elsewhere. It's another thing that Ma and I have always admitted that you're a better cook than her. School finished and I landed in real world and I realised that I being your sole daughter was spoiled rotten by you, unconditionally loved by both you and ma and I realised how stupidly i would cry as a child thinking I'm adopted and therefore chided(this of course you might have not known). And how much you meant to me and I meant to you. For all the sacrifices you made including that mad day as a child when I made made you carry me through the hilly streets of Shillong although I was a walking -talking child then(not to mention disgustingly fat!) For being that bold man, who was proud to have a single daughter in a society which is male-child hungry society. For every little thing including that of believing in me always.You've dealt with every situation with perfect understanding ,a seasoned sensitivity and treated every mistake of mine with much reasoning and a thank you is what I owe you and most importantly, I respect you for being that father.
For everyday should be your day, I love you Baba.
P.S- I shall write a book one day as you've said that it's your ultimate wish in life.
