My Daddy Strongest !

Remember this catchy line from an edible oil commercial few years back...It's so true … that’s what every little girl feels about her father … no matter how lean and simple he is . It’s actually beyond the physical look.He is her Super hero and idol for life. So was the case with me …My Dearest Papa was my Biggest Super Hero …actually Master Magician is more like the word I can use to describe him.

Honestly to the out side world he came across an average common polite and very helpful, honest and quiet human being …but there was so much more to him. He surely ‘THE BESTEST PAPA’ in the world.

I was the apple of his eye…till date I have never experienced unconditional love and pampering the way papa showered me with. He was the center of my world … a world that honestly didn’t care to look beyond Mom, Sonal (my sis) and Papa. I can't remember any wish of mine that ever was not fulfilled .. yes at times he would be modest and say that it will take some time but every wish was always fulfilled!

I use to look forward to coming back from my summer vacations .. usually Delhi was the destination ( native place after all ). As the Rajdhani train would near Mumbai Central station …I would impatiently look forward to see my dearest papa waiting amongst the crowd. Amazingly I would just spot him inspite of the crowd. That moment was just the best moment for me.It was surely the favorite part of my trip.

Oh and watching children’s films like Chota Chetan and Jungle book ...just me and my papa. He knew how fond I was of Hindi film music …so without me asking every new film cassette was presented to me i too would anxiously wait for the same.

When it came to Math and accounts.. I can proudly claim that had it not been for papa’s efforts I wouldn’t have ever cleared my exams …He would wake me up at 5 am in the morning and diligently sit with me explaining and making me practice the subjects. This is in spite the fact that he would have a long working day thereafter. Not to forget the 5 years my dearest parents spent taking us from Ghatkopar to Bandra ( about 60- 80km ) to ensure that we got good schooling. Papa would infact travel in opposite direction ( opposite to his work place that is - Thane ) drop us to school and then head to office … 5 long years .. not a joke .. .. I wonder if I could ever do that for anyone.

The moment I expressed my interest on learning to drive … within no time he bought me a Fiat so that I could learn and fulfill my biggest dream ...( well he knew that as a kid if ever anyone asked me what i wanted to be when i grew up .. prompt would be my rely - Truck Driver ...Itni Badi gaadi hoti hai uski ... he he he ).

Strangely the 1st time I ever went to a Disc... was only with my lovable papa . Well he was protective father and had asked me to avoid disc with college boys...every protective fathers concern.I too respected the same and stayed away.But my adorable empathatic father knew that like every youngsteer I would be curious too ...but out of respect obeyed him blindly.He himself took me there so I didn't feel deprived… doesn’t he sound like the most adorable man.

I have had the most fantastic holidays with him …I still remember how he surprised us by asking us to board the bus to Kashmir instead of the scheduled Vaishno Devi trip. We didn’t have enough money or woolens but was the best trip of my life.
Those family holidays were so much fun.

Be it going to check the Christmas decorations around town and have a fancy dinner together, comming all the way to Juhu beach from Ghatkopar to celebrate our bithday parties to visiting the local vegetable market together (4 of us), to coming all the way to Kemps corner to have dinner at papa's second home Kwality restaurant(chole and baked dish being our favorite there)... It was so much fun. It was amazing to see how mom and dad had adapted so well having stayed for 10 years at the poshest Naipean Sea Road - Dariya Mahal to Ghatkopar for the sake of the business.Yet there were no compromises made ever and ensured we got only the best !

I don't remember Mom and Dad partying any News Years eve without us after we came into their life ...It was always togther where ever it was. That was the beauty !

I loved the way I enjoyed getting Rs. 100 as pocket money right upto college days… fun part was Rs. 100 being small amount would exhaust in the 1st 10 days of the month .. then I would go upto papa and negotiate more money which was ‘ Udhaar’ . It was the favorite game with papa.

Oh yeah another one being he claiming to make dahi batapuri for me and gobbling a few pieces when mom wasn’t looking …as he was banned from eating it.

As kid yet another moment of joy would be when papa would take me for a long drive in our white Ambassador and evey time some fellow in the rick ahead or car acted funny … he would yell out loud‘ Oye Hat Kabutar Singh !!’ and soon like his echo I would repeat it and we both would laugh out loud . There is so much more I can just keep writing.Given a choice between friends and papa I chose Papa and I am so glad that I did.

Today is his 11th death anniversary though in these 11 years I haven’t experienced unconditional love, nor did any one come to pick me up at the station or handed over me any pocket money or bought me music casettes or taken me for family holidays. But my dearest papa has lived every moment of my life with me …he was there as a thought saying "papa ki badhur beti” when I felt helpless and wanted to give up on life, he was there when I saw true colors of so called blood relatives and felt disappointed…kept reminding me his last words “ Meri Maa ( Mata Rani )tumhara khayal rakhegi”, he was there watching all unexpected strangers come into our life and supporting us and showing us how to live life again without him, I know he stood proud when I got my 1st salary cheque of my then dream figure Rs10000. Also when I eventually bought my 1st car after having lost his favorite Ambassador and Fiat. He is with me on my every holiday that I make with strangers or friends. He stood by me and in his own ways showed me how to shoulder responsibilities when Mom and Sonal were totally down.

Today I see him stand proudly with a BIG SMILE and Tears of Joy as he watches us .. the 3 strong women who not only faced all the tides that came against us bravely but also have learnt to ride them gracefully and live a life on or own feet.

He is still my World and I so am so very grateful to God for those wonderful 18 yrs of my life with him when I was loved and pampered beyond words.

My Master Magician, My Dearest Papa !

Love you always