My Father

During one’s lifetime, a person comes across and interacts with thousands of individuals. A majority of them are those people whom one sees for not more than a few seconds. You come across them during a morning walk or a stroll in the evening. Of those hundreds of people, you talk with some and form bonds. They stay in your life for a bit longer time but they too move out through the exit someday. And then we have friends with whom you live, enjoy and share your feelings for almost your entire life. But sometimes, friendships too get broken or forgotten with time. And finally, we have family members with whom the bond is unbreakable. You live, interact, talk and play with them during your childhood. They are present in each and every moment of your life and every important occasion like marriage. All along the path, they are with you and guide every step of yours and help you become a better, more reliant person. The role that they play in our lives is of utmost importance, a role that needs to be appreciated and a role that cannot be easily substituted by someone else. This is the story of me and my father who was with me throughout my life and helped me become a better person in every aspect.

As a child, I was very timid. I used to be frightened of everything and everyone. The moment I heard the sound of thunder, I used to let out a shriek and run to my father. The moment  there was a power cut, I used to behave as if I had lost my eyesight and will have to spend the rest of my life seeing things in black and white. It was not just things and situations that I was frightened of, but also people - most importantly my classmates. I always used to be a source of entertainment for them. My classmates, even though were of the same age as me, tried to behave as my superiors, dominate me and bully me. At times, they gave their notebooks to me and demand that I do their homework. And I used to silently carry all their books home and complete the work, skipping my dinner and also my daily dose of cartoons. My father used to say that he would complain to the class teacher about them but I would ask him not to do so, fearing that they might build up grudge against me and resort to even more bullying. They also used to ask me to do bizarre things like running around the playground fifty times in the position of a duck. Such things often used to result in me getting fever but I used to bear them all. I never had the courage to protest their acts. Things were moving on in this way. Every time my father  asked if I wanted any help from him, I would say that I am fine and can deal with the situation.

One day my father forgot to pick me up from school in the evening and as a result, the bullies of my class got a chance to show their sadism on me and enjoy the show. They made me walk around the playground on my knees. My knees were hurting and bleeding but they wouldn’t stop. Unluckily, none of the teachers were around that day. I wished that my father comes soon and rescues me.

He came and saw me in that pathetic state. I could see tears rolling down his eyes. He started running towards me but then halted midway and turned back and stood that way for a long time. I couldn’t understand why my father wasn’t coming to rescue me. I had no choice but to carry out the orders of my classmates. I could no longer bear the pain. I stood up and said that I wanted to leave. They protested and slapped me. My father turned his face towards me. I could still see him crying. But he didn’t come towards me. I understood the reason behind my father’s actions. I slapped my classmates back and since that day, they never bullied me again.

My father taught me how to be brave and self-reliant. Your timid-ness is what makes the ones round you brave. Once you act  bravely, the world realises that it can no longer use you as an item of humour and fun!

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This post has been written for Apno Ko Apne Dum Pe Jeena Sikhao campaign on IndiBlogger.