A letter to Dad

To,

Daughter’s Emperor,

Lovely dad, living in my heart,

Subject: Long live Your Majesty,

I know you are thinking what’s wrong with my daughter? Is she alright? After such a long time, a letter for me from my daughter? Is what you are thinking, well I will tell you why I am writing this. I always wanted to write to you but never got to know-how, today I think I have all that takes me to write this to you.

You are surprised why I start with Emperor and Your Majesty kind of things, yes, I do have a reason for this. Let me open up my heart today, read every line patiently, and certainly don’t cry.

When I was born, though you did not want another daughter when you took me up and I hold your hand your first sentence to me was “she is very strong, she is just like my grandma, she is reborn” with that overwhelming smile. That you loved me like hell after that.

Every time I cried, you were horrified asking a lot of questions “what happened? Is she ok? Did she have food? Is she healthy?” And so on. That mom got frustrated and you were just so worried and felt bad that you could not explain how you felt, that came out as questions.

When I had my Immunization you always stood outside the clinic, when we came back home and I was crying you kept asking mom “did you give her medicine? How many days will it take for her to recover? What did the doctor say? And so on, till I was not calm and the Immunization clot was gone. As you are so sensitive that you could not see me getting that sharp thing into me and the sound of me crying. Also, you felt bad each time you touched the Immunization clot thinking of how badly it should be paining to me.

When I started to walk you stood just by my side and when I fell you said “come on get up nothing is wrong” wiping my knee and hands. As you were worried for me but you also wanted to make me strong and wanted me to learn for myself and not give up.

You had a fight with mom when I was supposed to get the ear piercing and tonsuring saying “is this required? She is very small, how can she take care of gold and stuff she is too small and the world is bad, people steal and in that they might hurt her”. Again you’re sensitive for me, getting that needle into my ears and blade on my head that could hurt me, that’s what you were worried of not gold.

When I was sick you did not sleep well and again kept asking questions and gave a lot of suggestions “She is still not feeling well, her cough is not gone, did you give her medicine, give her one more dose after some time, do some home remedies, and her temperature might come to normal”. You felt so bad and also angry about the fever, that hurt me but you also wanted to see me playing happily like usual.

When I went to school for the first time and started crying you said “I will be in your class within some time but before I come back, make a lot of friends and we will go back home” but certainly you did not come into the classroom and mom came to pick me up. You lied to me, so I would stop crying and fight my own fear, and move forward.

When I fell from the cycle trying to learn to ride and started to cry, and when mom was applying ointment on my wound, you started to tell me your history that even you fell down and still you were happy and so, and you also guided me to fall more. So I would concentrate on the story and not the wound and pain and that would encourage me to learn to ride the cycle faster, rather than thinking of my wound and fall. And this is very normal with everyone.

Whenever we went to the place of mass gathering you said “watch every step you take and make a note of everything you see, remember my phone number, name, and our address”. It was all to secure me from getting lost, if any such thing happened I could take someone’s help to call you to phone or reach home safe.

You always spoke about your history, our culture and traditions, you worked very hard and many a time, I slept without seeing you, many times I have seen you fighting with mom and also very sad. So I could know our cultures and traditions, you were out so you could earn, for us to be happy and get everything we need. You even left your dream of a job and place you wanted to go. Fought with mom for not getting things for yourself, as you had to save for our future.

You were really very angry when once I returned home late after my school. Then scold me for getting less percentage. As you were just very worried and scared if something went wrong. And less percentage could lessen my opportunities of getting a good job.

After I was grown up, many times, though you had time you asked me to take a bus to college. You were not very happy when I said I wanted to go to watch a movie or party with friends and had a lot of guidance and warnings. So I could learn to do things myself, be cautious with things and people I might be with, fight and find out ways to work out things by myself.

You had a lot of stories and philosophies to say when I was completing college and told me to go to work and give my interviews even though when I know I will not get it. So I could learn how the questions are asked in interviews, learn things and also learn to know people as colleagues and less as friends. The hardness in work, learn to manage work, family, money, friends, and more.

There was a lot more you did that I might have not remembered or was not able to put in words but dad today I have to say you are the best. Mothers have always been seen and loved for what they do but Fathers who work behind are only remembered for money, needs, guidance, and anger but there was more you gave and had that was not recognized.

At times you have been like a baby, at times you have been more than my mom, also a teacher, support, a protector, a solder, a guide, a storyteller, a philosopher, a rich businessman when I wanted things. How can I forget about you being a horse, when I was a baby, then runner when I was learning cycle, Joker when I was sad, a badminton player, a football player, carom player, a tourist guide and many more...

Sorry, it took me very long to understand you but you always knew me more than myself. You knew my needs, my requirements, and my potential. Every day is secure with you, whether it was yesterday, today, or coming days, you know everything before I could even think of it.

I know, thank you is not what you won't ever, but for things you have given and that which will be with us till we die there is nothing we could ever return so all I can say is Thank you dad for everything and might be this could weigh a little more…., “I love you a lot”.

You don’t say things directly, you don’t know to use those words that will say everything and I know you are like this and I love the way you are and I would always love the way you are. I know how many troubles you might have faced to raise us, I know you are different but that makes you who you are and how tough you are and I admire you for that. I really love the stories you tell about yourself that tell me about mistakes that encourage me to fight all odds.

You might not be the king to anyone but for me, you are the emperor who fought all the odds in this world, even though being hurt emotionally, mentally, and physically sometimes, only for us to be happy, protected, and secure in this world. Ho! god you do need to be a hell lot hard like the Emperor, and so should you get the respect and love and greet like an Emperor.

So, long live the Emperor in all his royalty of our love. Thank god for giving me a dad like you.

A 160 gun shoot salute to my Emperor.

Your daughter