When I was very young, they called
it a Composition and then, an Essay when I was young. Literal difference
whatever there may be between the two, they remain
same to me till now as both required something to be written on a
particular topic, the only difference being that when it was a composition we
were supposed to write 10 lines (sentences) on the topic and it was 400
to 500 words as it became an essay.
It was composition, when we, I mean the whole class, were given the
topic 'My Father'.
Eventually I was the first student to be asked by the teacher to speak
on the topic, and to be honest, I started well.......
1. My father's name is Shri D.S. Chaturvedi.
2. My father lives in Rishikesh.
3. My father works for Pantnagar Agricultural University.
4. I love my father.
....... and that was it. Even after thinking a lot I could not put 10
straight lines on My Father.
Realizing that I have nothing more to offer, the teacher moved on to
the next guy who provided 3 more lines.......
5. My father is a very good man.
6. My father is a religious man.
7. My father is my Hero.
....... and then few other students and three sentences later, the
Composition on My Father was complete.
8. My father is a strong man.
9. My father is a very kind man.
10. My father loves me very much.
As it took effort of the whole class to write about 'My Father', I was
just not convinced that my father is a hero, because I knew only film actors
were heroes and also that my father is a religious man, because barring a few
temple visits with the family or on an odd yearly festival I didn't see him
worship.
But I remained quiet as 10 lines were to be completed and what
difference does it make when everybody is writing the same thing except for the
names and work of their respective fathers.
With rest of the lines I could mostly relate to, but I guess I didn't
know much about my father then...... I was very young!
The composition became essay later, but the topic 'My Father' never
came my way again.......
Life went on from school to college and then on to the job. I had my
parents with me, I got married, my sisters got married and I even have a son.
Things were so smooth and perfect that I actually never thought of what and who
I have. Then, on the cold Monday morning of 7th March 2011, I unexpectedly lost
my father to Sudden Cardiac Arrest while he was away for his job in Srinagar,
Garhwal.
He passed away one and half hours before I could reach him. I was not
there with him nor was any other member of the family during his passing.
Although he was well attended by his friends and colleagues and was given the
best available treatment, the fact, that I was not there with him during his
last moments, shall remain the biggest regret of my life.
It’s been a year since my father left us and I still feel devastated at
the thought of it and am not able to come to terms with it completely. The more
I think about him, the more I miss him and I require his presence more than
ever. My father's untimely passing has made me emotionally vulnerable and
forced me to think again about the things and people that my father survived.
And during one of those moments I thought about my father again........
the composition....... the lines........ and all.......
My father was born in our native village, Gadanpur in district
Farrukhabad, and was brought up in Kanpur where my grandfather was a lecturer.
Second of the eight siblings, he was the most carefree person as a child and
remained that way till he died. He was not only carefree; he was also a rebel
with a heart of gold. It was this quality that made him stand out among his
peers and family.
As I was thinking of him, I realized that whatever I had written about
my father at that early age actually holds true on all accounts.
My father was indeed a strong man, not to say physically, but mentally
yes. I am yet to meet a man who has a will power matching my father. For
example, his job did not command a very high salary but determined as he was he
(of course with the solid support from my mother) gave us the best of
upbringing that he could. On one account when fees for my pre sea training was
to be deposited within a day and I knew my father had no money, he told me not
to worry and he did arrange the full amount and deposited my fees the next day.
Contrary to my initial belief, my father was a religious man as well,
it’s only I realized later that being religious does not mean going to temples
and praying for long hours at home.
He was also a kind and good man as I wrote in the composition. I always
knew that my father was kind and good but I was overwhelmed by what people had
to say about his philanthropy, kindness and generosity. Not that they had to
praise a dead man, but one could feel the authenticity behind the emotions
expressed by the people that ranged from a pan wallah, to my father’s friends/
colleagues and to other respected and learned persons who knew my father.
Having said all this it is not that my father had only good qualities but like
any other human being he had his own share of weakness and demons, only thing
that his goodness outweighed his negativities.
And the lines “I love my father” and “My father loves me a very much”
were the most important and true. I love my father and will continue to do so
even when he is not around and I knew that he loved me and will continue to do
so from wherever he is.
It is his love that makes us think about him all the time.
In one year’s time we have somewhat adjusted our lives around my
father’s absence but the fact is how so ever normal it may seem but life after
his death will never be same again ……………
Abraham Lincoln once said “And in the end, it's not the years in your
life that count. It's the life in your years.” This holds absolutely true for
my father as he lived his life to the fullest in the number of years he lived.
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