Ninantha Appa illa

“Ninantha appa illa…” (there is no father like you) song was on the radio a few days back. That’s when I thought of writing this post.
This made me recollect my relationship with dad.
I have always been closer to mom, regarding anything in life. But, this doesn’t mean dad is of any less importance.

Dad was and is still my alarm clock (when I am at my parent’s house).
In 12th STD, I had taken up the morning class, which used to start at 6.15. My dad used to wake me at 5.30 AM. I would ask for 5 minutes and in those 5 minutes, he would sit on the bed, wait for those 5 minutes and then again wake me up. I would again ask for 5 minutes, but this time, he would wake me up some 5000 times, that I would get irritated and wake up. Then we would leave home at 6, and then he would have to zoom in his scooter to drop me. I would keep yelling, “Fast appa, fast daddy, fast fast fast”. He never lost his patience though, and he would just say, “Why can’t you get up when I come to wake you, the first time” or, “that’s why I told you take the evening batch”. This would happen almost every other day.

During my Engineering days, I once missed my college bus; rather I realized it as soon as I reached the bus stop. My dad was in a Lungi and T-shirt; he drove me to my college which was 30kms from my house in the Bajaj scooter in the same avatar. He still recollects that and tells it to my husband. Even today, he is ready to drive those 30kms to drop me to Infy, if I happen to miss my bus. But I don’t make such a fuss getting up early, so no chance of that.

I have got lot of punishments from mom, but none till date from dad. At his angriest moment, he might have said “you are hopeless”, that’s it. Not a swear word, not even a single hit full of anger.
There was a song which goes like this “Papa ki pari hoon main”. That song just fits my situation. However the movie was, I love that song.

Even now when I go home, he is ready to dance to my tunes, literally. We don’t dance on any music, I just taught him a few moves and I sing and we dance. My mom says, we are crazy, but who cares :)

He was the one who taught me chess and carom; he never lost just cause I would cry, he wanted me to make an effort and win, ofcourse he would play a little easy, but never let me win unless I tried really hard. It’s because of him that I started following sports. We loved watching tennis and cricket together. Ofcourse mom was also interested in those days, so it was family time.

Every evening, I would sit and watch serials with mom and comment simultaneously. After that, I would sit with dad, and both of us would watch movies. Dad dint like movies, mom couldn’t sit through movies. So I would give them company. Ofcourse both of them, would sometimes wonder, if I am watching TV all the time, when do I study :)

There was a time when dad wanted to learn computers. There were times when I would get a little impatient, but then, I remembered the time when he used to teach me Mathematics, and understand what patience actually meant.

I know everybody’s dad is special to them. I also know its Mother’s Day which is nearing. So what?? I feel like writing about Dad today… so Dad, this post is dedicated to you.

PS: The post may not be well composed. But feelings need not be composed all the time :)