My Daddy Strongest

by docdivatraveller - 6/21/2015

Happy Fathers Day to all the awesome fathers out there! I am sure that everyone would agree with the title of my post! Our father has always been our first hero! He has always been our pillar of support, the strongest shoulder to cry on and the person with the deepest pockets who would never run out of money!

Two water babies vacationing in Puri...

I share a very subdued relationship with my father. My dad is a very inexpressive person and at times its really tough to understand him. I have had two phases of relationship with him. My parents tell me that I was a total papa's girl during infancy and early childhood. I used to look like him too! With really short hair and in shorts and tee, I was a tomboy in my childhood. But tables turned during an unfortunate situation when I was four.

The very first photograph of my parents' camera...I was six months old...

My mother got really ill and she had to be hospitalised for a long period. During that time Bapi (as I fondly call him) took a break from his office. He used to cook my favourite things, take me to buy jewelery (yes i have been fond of them since time immemorial) and toys as many as I demanded. He tried to fill the void that was formed due to my mom's absence. But somehow I really missed her and when she came back fully cured, I became clingy towards her. I would not let her leave my side even for a single moment. And that is how I became a mama's girl. And as I grew, I started resembling her too!

Me and my eternal love for flowers!

Throughout my late childhood and teens, I and Bapi shared a silent relationship. I never clung to him nor he was vocal about his feelings. But one thing was very apparent, he loved me more than my mom did. Being a single child, he was very protective and possessive of me. Even if my discipline yearning mom punished me, he would come to my rescue. And since mom was too weak to carry me, I was always in my Bapi's lap! Yes, on his shoulders,in his arms...whenever I could!

Sandhya Aarti rituals in the Ganges, Haridwar

As I entered medical college he became more supportive. That is a phase where children tend to get farther from parents and I was no exception. I got very little time to spend with them. Vacations were the only times when I bonded with him.

We both just love water!!

A drastic thing happened when I got married. I wanted to marry the man I loved and he supported me without any glitch (I never thought he would because of so many reasons!). That time I found him expressing himself. He would drop household tips now and then. He started counselling me about how I should be understanding about my hubby (as he was new at household too). I should be less demanding as every man struggles to find his foothold at the threshold of matrimony. That was very surprising as I had never expected him to be so open about all this.

The day when I got married,when he gave me away to my husband, I saw tears first time in his eyes. I had never ever seen him weeping before and that moment I realised that how much I meant to him.

After marriage, I take care not to speak rudely to him or take him for granted. He had brought me up so lavishly, fulfilled my every wish and pampered me like a princess. The least I can do is to take care of him. Even if he has a myriad of annoying habits (we all kids think so about our respective Dads)

Once again a very Happy Father's Day Bapi!