Monday, November 21, 2005

Happy Birthday Daddy

I’ve always been “Daddy’s little girl”. My earliest memories of my Dad are the ones of him teaching me nursery rhymes. He would come home from work and sit in the oversized armchair in the living room and I would climb up onto the arm of the chair with my book of Nursery rhymes and he would read them out loud to me. I still have those books and every time I turn the pages it is like opening up a floodgate of sweet memories.

All my childhood I grew up knowing Daddy was a very busy man and he was never around because he had to take care of all the sick patients. For me vacations never meant going out of town because I knew Daddy could not abandon his patients and he never took a day off. Even on Sundays. But we would go to New Market every Thursday. I did not have school on Thursday. So Daddy would pick my Mom and me after his morning outdoor and we would go shopping at New market. And then we would have lunch at Park Street. I loved Thursdays.

And every night Daddy would come to wish me goodnight. I used to go to bed around eight, and often Daddy would still be at his chamber, attending patients. I would lie in bed waiting for him to finish up and stop by my room. He always did. He’d sit on my bed and ask me how my day was. Then he’d hug me, and say, “Goodnight, sleep tight, see you in the morning…sweet dreams”. Only then would I be able to go to sleep.

Daddy was always impeccably dressed. He had a whole array of cologne and after shave in the bathroom and I would go in after him and spray some on myself because I loved the way he smelt all the time. He once told me that when he was growing up in a huge joint family, there were times when he wanted something but could not get it because there were too many kids and too little going around. He grew up knowing that he would make enough money so that he would be able to buy anything and everything he wanted to. So now that he could afford it he indulged himself in buying the latest and finest gadgets that one could buy. You need to realize this was India fifteen or twenty years back. There was no globalization, as we know it today. And imported things were not only expensive, they were a rarity. But Daddy had a stream of electronics supplied to our home every month. And he loved it. And he spoiled me silly too. He bought me perfumes and other things and he never needed a reason to bring home a gift.

I loved Daddy as well as feared him. I was always scared of disappointing him. I wanted him to be proud of me, to bring him all the happiness in the world. He always wanted me to have the very best of things, to be the very best I can be. He never scolded me, never hit me, but I knew he would be hurt if I disappointed him. He refused to let me cook or iron my clothes for fear of me getting burnt. He disapproved of my wearing a saree for fear of realizing that his little girl was becoming a woman. He pretended to ignore all the male friends I had for fear of losing me to someone else. And yet when I said that I had fallen in love and wanted to marry, he never stopped or questioned me. That he trusted and had faith in my judgment was visible in the way he welcomed B into the family. And he has reluctantly accepted the fact that I cook and clean and iron and yes, wear a saree. And as I have moved from one continent to another, from one career path to another and back again, he has supported and encouraged every decision, every move.

And today from across the miles I love and respect him and hope I can still make him proud. And although I wish I could be with him on this day I do not think I would be able to tell him in words how much his love has meant to me over the years.

Daddy, you’re the best. Happy Birthday!

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24 Comments:

Blogger Prerona said...

wow!

thats all ...

i'm out of words!

ur lucky, you had such a nice relationship with ur dad! nice.

thanks for sharing it with us.

3:29 PM  
Blogger Sagnik Nandy said...

wonderful! darun likhecho!

4:44 PM  
Blogger Wanderlust said...

hey,so you are your daddy's child?that was a truly wonderful tribute paid to your dad on his special day!
for me too,my dad is my best and closest friend,a person who is my best critic,one who never passes judgement but let me be the way i wish to be.my dad's a darling to me:-D and all i can say is that i miss him a lot:-(

12:23 AM  
Blogger Point 5 said...

Nice one....I hope ur Dad reads ur blog...he would be really proud of u...

1:34 AM  
Blogger Ron said...

I love the way you write. This post brought back so many memories, my dad used to have a special rhyme that he wrote for me. He would pick me up when he came home after office and hold me and say that rhyme and I seriously felt that I had the bestest Daddy in the whole wide world.

Don't know how why or when things changed and I stopped being a Daddy's girl. Wish it hadnt though.

Hope your dad had a wonderful birthday :-)

1:39 AM  
Blogger M (tread softly upon) said...

@prerona thank you and yes I miss my Dad. We share a special bond. But he emails me every single day without fail and keeps me posted on every little thing that is happening back home.
@ sagnik dhonyobad :)
@ satchisgod "good old" me?? How old were you when you went to buy smokes?
@ ashmi thanks. Dad's are always special.
@ point 5 nope my Dad does not read my blog. He would if I told him about it. But I'd be a trifle embarrassed if he did. But I sure hope he is proud of me, not matter what.
@ ron things actually never change. It is only us. I remember once I stopped talking to my dad for almost two weeks simply because I thought he did not like me much as a person but would bear with me simply because we were family. How silly was that! And my dad being just as stubborn would not break the silence because he thought I was being ridiculous and he was faintly amused. Until I could not take it anymore and went up to him and hugged him.
My dad also used to tell me stries that he'd make up about a little girl named rosogolla who had a Dad named Rajbhog and a Mom named Kamalabhog. Incidentally rosogolla would end up doing the exact same things that I would do and I was perpetually confused as to how Rosogolla and I had such a similar life. I could never figure out that he was just telling me my own story. I miss those days (sigh)!

9:07 AM  
Blogger Casablanca said...

Its funny right, how somethings we just cant say directly to the person concerned? Do you think it would be so odd if you actually sent this to your Dad? Well... maybe you should. It'll make his day :)

10:33 PM  
Blogger Miss M said...

No game, SHE'S A BONG!!

hehe..sorry M. Had to say it. Just had to. =D

And a very very touching post. Enjoyed reading it. =)

2:08 AM  
Blogger M (tread softly upon) said...

@ satchisgod thought you did not like the optimistic me...hmmm. But "nicey nice" that's me for sure :)
@ casa it is always hard to tell people you love how much they mean to you. And I might take you up on the suggestion. may be...
@ game thanks for visiting and belated birthday wishes. And like Medha says I am Bong, one hundred percent!
@ Medha thanks!

10:52 AM  
Blogger Dreamcatcher said...

That was beautiful and touching. We neevr grow up for our fathers do we, no matter how old we get and how far we go. I am sure if he read it, he would be very touched.

12:13 PM  
Blogger Ratna said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

1:00 PM  
Blogger Ratna said...

Cool post!
My wishes to your dad.

1:02 PM  
Blogger Sudarshan. A. G. said...

I feel mebbe one-hundredth of wht ur dad might have felt when I see my kid sis talking abt college life and her crush and all...

nice post

came over from dd's blog

12:20 AM  
Blogger That Girl said...

yeah, dads are the best!! happy birthday to your dad too!!!

i always prayed for God to send me someone who was just like my dad...

12:23 AM  
Blogger nothing said...

Totally unrelated, but thought you might like this:
http://www.uploading.com/?get=58YB45A7

2:34 AM  
Blogger Dipanjan Das said...

an exquisite meyebela type account. somehow i personally feel a boy and his father's relationship is different.

happy thanksgiving!

11:41 PM  
Blogger rainbeau_peep said...

Just thought I'd leave a comment, even though I can't seem to find anything to say. This was a beautiful post, right at this moment, just about everything in the world seems wonderful to me. :-]

8:52 AM  
Blogger Acroyali said...

"i have no words to describe this" are about the only words i can manage.
:)
ashadhoron!!

4:18 AM  
Blogger Priya said...

From one more daddy's girl to another...A tad too late, but indeed very beautifully put.
Y does it sound like u've narrated my childhood story?? Y is it that dads are the most wonderful people we grow up with and thankfully never outgrow? Y is it that Dads know all the tricks in the world and the best tales (fairy or otherwise) to keep u happy, smiling and cheerful always? Y is it that dads never demand the best from you but just lead by example by being the best?
Just back from Cal this morning, so Baba fresh in mind. Somehow, wish I hadn't stopped by your blog today to read this.
Anyway, belated b'day wishes to yr Dad.

6:51 AM  
Blogger jaded said...

Ki sundor lekho tumi!this was one of the most moving posts i have read in a long time...hope your dad had a great b'day

8:28 AM  
Blogger M (tread softly upon) said...

@dreamcatcher thanks and I'm sure dad would love to read this too :)
@ratna thank you!
@suddu thanks for visiting and please come back again. I guess the feeling goes for anyone you want to protect. BUt don't worry usually they grow up faster than you would imagine.
@grafxgurl....you will.....I'm sure.
@kaashyapeya thank you. will check it out.
@dd that is what my husband says too. That's why I say Daddy's li'l girl :)
@rainbeau love your name and I'm happy for you. Thanks for visiting.
@ acroyali looks like you are back. yipee!
@ priya....ki bole shantona debo bolo? You get used to it. I haven't seen my dad in three and a half years.....bhabte paro?
@jaded thanks. He did have a resonably nice birthday from what I hear.

9:57 AM  
Blogger Abhi said...

Its more than a week late but reading your post , I had to say a little , useless but honest "wow".ur dad would be proud to read this.its more than a blog post , its a daughter's love held in words.

10:38 AM  
Blogger J. Alfred Prufrock said...

I hope I'll be as good a father to my daughter.

And I hope that she'll love me as much.

J.A.P.

12:00 AM  
Blogger M (tread softly upon) said...

thanks abhinav and JAP.

11:02 AM  

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