Thanks Dad!

“Dad, I don’t want to be a Doctor.”

Can u imagine how difficult something like this is to say to your father who thinks you r his Baap-ka-Naam-Roshan-Karega Son (my younger brother was an asshole back then…), to whom a free medical seat has been handed out on a platter? Imagine. Never in your family, not even in your far off relatives, there has been a Doctor… It is your one chance of  being grateful to your father, for everything… You can see a pride his eyes when he practises – “My Son is a Doctor!!” – line over n over in his head…

So, with all this background, I closed my eyes n said, now out loud, “Dad, I don’t want to be a Doctor.” Dad was in shock! He tried to reason with me… Then he tried to intimidate me with his anger… But to no avail!! I set out to pursue my own dreams… Crushing his…

————————————————————

I always wonder, “Has Dad ever really approved of my choices?”… It’s not difficult to remember the matters over which our views were/are poles apart. And I have always been as disobedient as a Son could ever be. There were times n situations, where I had enjoyed proving him wrong, but it came later as an Epiphany that he never really wanted to win…   Now, when I look back, I realise how hard it must have been for him to put up with an unruly elder Son (fortunately, my younger brother did not inherit my wayward ways!)

When we were kids, I always use to put all the blame of anything sinister on my younger brother, to avoid getting caned by Dad… (“WHAT did you do, ADITYA??” Mom would SHOUT.) But Dad never showed any stinginess in thrashing us!! Afterwards, we both would get mad at Dad. I would immerse myself in a storybook in a corner & brother would eat lots n lots of tomatoes… (He had this unique way of expressing his anger!) After a while, our anger would melt away in the smell from kitchen… And Dad would call out – “Whooooo’s Hungry?”

———————————————————-

Nowadays, my Dad is a happy man! He thinks, or at least I guess he thinks, that both his Sons (the younger Son is not an asshole any more – He is a Doctor!) r on their way to make something of their lives… He celebrates this feeling every Saturday by helping out Mom making Kanda-Bhajis (Yes, Onion Pakodas r his favourite!!!) He no more treats his elder Son as a Boy. Every once in a while, he sends him forwarded email messages (with a trademark signature – “With Love, Mom n Papa”), to blend in with Son’s ‘Generation’, or to reassure his Son that he is not obsolete…

Everything seems so fine now. It’s just that Dad’s protesting voices (admonishing me over my choices) have become feeble … I sometimes miss that…

—————————————————

P.S. Wish u a very special b’day Dad!