My wife called, 'How long will you be
with that newspaper? Will you come here and make your
darling daughter eat her food?'
I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene. My only
daughter Sindu looked frightened.
Tears were welling up in her eyes. In front of her was a bowl
filled to its brim with Curd Rice. Sindu is a nice child, quite
intelligent for her age. She has just turned eight. She
particularly detested Curd Rice. My mother and my wife are
orthodox, and believe firmly in the 'cooling effects' of
Curd Rice! I cleared my throat, and picked up the bowl.
'Sindu, darling,why don't you take a few mouthful of this
Curd Rice? Just for Dad's sake, dear.
Sindu softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of
her hands.
'OK, Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the
whole lot of this.
But, you should...' Sindu hesitated. 'Dad, if I eat this
entire curd Rice, will you give me whatever I ask
for?'....
Oh sure, darling'.... 'Promise?'......... 'Promise'.
I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with
mine, and clinched the deal.
'Ask Mom also to give a similar promise', my daughter
insisted.
My wife put her hand on Sindu's, muttering 'Promise'. Now
I became a bit anxious.
'Sindu dear, you shouldn't insist on getting a computer or any
such expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of money right
now. OK?'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive'.
Slowly and painfully, she finished eating the whole
quantity.
I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for
forcing my child eat something that she detested. After
the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes
wide with expectation. All our attention was on her.
'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her
demand.
'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'A girl child having her head
shaved off? Impossible!' 'Never in our family!' my mother rasped.
'She has been watching too much of television. Our culture is
getting totally spoiled with these TV programs!'
Sindu darling, why don't you ask for something else? We
will be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything else', Sindu said with
finality.
'Please, Sindu, why don't you try to understand our
feelings?'
I tried to plead with her.
'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd
Rice'.
Sindu was in tears. 'And you promised to grant me whatever
I ask for.
Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who
told me the story of King Harishchandra, and its moral
that we should honor our promises no matter what?'
It was time for me to call the shots.
'Our promise must be kept.'
'Are you out your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.
'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to
honor her own.
Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.'
With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and
her eyes looked big and beautiful.
On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a
sight to watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom.
She turned around and waved. I waved back with a smile.
Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted,
'Sinduja, please wait for me!'
What struck me was the hairless head of that boy.
'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought. 'Sir, your
daughter Sinduja is great indeed!' Without introducing
herself, a lady got out of the car, and continued,' That boy
who is walking along with your daughter is my son Harish. He is
suffering from... ... leukemia.' She paused to muffle her
sobs.
Harish could not attend the school for the whole of the
last month. He lost all his hair due to the side effects
of the chemotherapy. He refused to come back to school
fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates.
'Sinduja visited him last week, and promised him that she will
take care of the teasing issue.
But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair
for the sake of my son! Sir, you and your wife are blessed
to have such a noble soul as your daughter.'
I stood transfixed. And then, I wept. 'My little Angel,
you are teaching me how self-less real love is!'
*The happiest people on this planet are not those who live
on their own terms but are those who change their terms
for the ones whom they love..*
Love Touch And Inspire your FRIENDS "The life is short,
the vanities of world are transient but they alone live who
live for others; the rest are more dead than alive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No one else can ever make your choices for you.
Your choices are yours alone. They are as much
a part of you as every breath you will take,
every moment of your life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You cannot manage your life if you do not manage
your self. You cannot manage your self if you do
not manage your choices. Manage your choices,
and you will manage your life.
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