It’s was a normal morning which I was seeing for
last 32 years. But what happened on that day, I had never imagined in my life.
I left my bed at around 6:30, not with my own wish but because of the scare of
my wife. Suppose if I will not leave my bed on time then for the whole day I
had to hear some kind of loud voice, which is very much scary. So with my half
opened eyes I left my sweet cozy bed, with a little bit of anger and scare for
my one and only wife. After finishing my daily core activities, my eyes
searched for the morning newspaper. I love to turn the pages of my newspaper
with a cup of hot coffee. Actually by
doing so, I get some kind of manly feeling within me.
With my glasses on my nose I was searching for some
interesting news in the newspaper to discuss in the office during lunch hour,
just then my ears received a wave of scare voice coming from the dining hall
direction. In the morning’s calm atmosphere it sounded as if some vegetable
vendor is shouting on the street trying to sell his vegetables. “How long will
you be poring over that newspaper? Will you come here right away and make your
darling daughter eat her food?”
I have an Angel in my home called as Nilakshi,
other people used to call her as my daughter. She is the only gift I got from my
wife, for which I will always be thankful to her. Every morning whenever NIlakshi
calls me that makes my day. She is like a little bird chirping all over my
home. Like other child she never demanded anything from me. Even she didn’t
like to wear new dresses. She has just turned eight but all her activities are
not usual for a kid of her age.
I tossed the paper away kept the cup on table and rushed to the scene. My only daughter Nilakshi looked frightened. Tears were welling up in her eyes. In front of her was a glass bowl filled to its brim with milk & muesli.
She particularly detested muesli. My mother and my wife are nontraditional or may be called as modern. Both of them carry too much of influence from the TV adds.
I tossed the paper away kept the cup on table and rushed to the scene. My only daughter Nilakshi looked frightened. Tears were welling up in her eyes. In front of her was a glass bowl filled to its brim with milk & muesli.
She particularly detested muesli. My mother and my wife are nontraditional or may be called as modern. Both of them carry too much of influence from the TV adds.
I picked up the bowl and sat near my baby. After
clearing my throat, I said "Nilakshi, darling, why don't you take a few
mouthful of this Muesli? Just for your Dad's sake, dear. And, if you don't,
your Mom will beat me and then you will have to protect me.”
After saying this I didn’t looked behind, because I sensed my wife's scowl. Nilakshi smiled and softened a bit, and wiped her small tear drops with the back of her little hands. “OK, Daddy. I will eat not just a few mouthfuls, but will finish the bowl. But, you should...” Nilakshi stopped with some kind of hesitation. When I asked her not to fear from her Mother or grandmother she said that “Daddy, if I eat this entire Muesli, will you give me whatever I ask for?”
“Oh sure, darling.”
“Promise?” she again asked to be sure from her side.
“Promise, my baby”. I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, and clinched the deal.
“Ask Mom also to promise the same”, my daughter insisted to me. Angrily looking at me, my wife slapped her hand on Nilakshi's, muttering “Promise”, without any emotion.
Now I became a bit anxious, thinking don’t know what she is going to demand from us. That was the first time she was behaving like this, that was the reason why I was anxious. I said her “Nilakshi, you shouldn't insist on getting any expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of money right now. OK?” “No, Daddy. Please don’t worry I am not going to ask anything which is expensive from you.” After saying this she slowly and painfully, finished eating the whole quantity. I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child to eat something that she dislike intensely.
The fight between my daughter and the bowl of muesli lasted for around 35 minutes. After winning her battle she came to me with her eyes wide open filled with expectation. She came to us as if we were the organizer of the game and she came to us for collecting her prize. She was standing before us, silently asking for her prize. With scared voice I asked her “tell me Nila, what you want from us?” She said “Daddy, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!'
“Atrocious!” shouted my wife looking angrily at her, “a girl child having her head shaved off? Impossible!” My wife, at least she had some words to say to her. I was totally word less after hearing to her demand. She didn’t ask for anything expensive, but then also I was shocked to hear her. After few seconds I pulled her up in my lap and said “Nilakshi, why don't you ask for something else? We will feel bad whenever we will see your head clean-shaved”.
Nilakshi with her soft voice said “No, Daddy. I do not want anything else.”
I tried to plead with her because I don’t want to use force on my baby. I said “Please, Nilakshi, why don't you try to understand our feelings?” With her soft and sweet voice cryingly she said, “Daddy, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Muesli”. (Now tears from Nilakshi’s eye started rolling down to her chick) “And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for. Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra, and its moral that we should honor our promises no matter what?”
It was time for me to put down the weapons, and said to my wife and mother “Our promise must be kept.”
“Are you out your mind?” chorused my mother and wife. “How can we allow her to depart from her hair, today she is demanding this tomorrow who knows she can demand something more weird. If we will start accepting all her demand then one day she will not listen to us.”
I said “No. try to think in other way, if we will go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor her own. Nilakshi, your wish will be fulfilled.”
Nilakshi had a round-face with her head clean-shaven, and her eyes looked big & beautiful. I don’t about Nila but I missed her hair very much.
On Monday morning, I dropped my baby at her school. I was feeling bad while looking at hairless Nilakshi walking towards her classroom. She turned around and waved her hand to say bye. I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, “Nilakshi, please wait for me!”
After saying this I didn’t looked behind, because I sensed my wife's scowl. Nilakshi smiled and softened a bit, and wiped her small tear drops with the back of her little hands. “OK, Daddy. I will eat not just a few mouthfuls, but will finish the bowl. But, you should...” Nilakshi stopped with some kind of hesitation. When I asked her not to fear from her Mother or grandmother she said that “Daddy, if I eat this entire Muesli, will you give me whatever I ask for?”
“Oh sure, darling.”
“Promise?” she again asked to be sure from her side.
“Promise, my baby”. I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, and clinched the deal.
“Ask Mom also to promise the same”, my daughter insisted to me. Angrily looking at me, my wife slapped her hand on Nilakshi's, muttering “Promise”, without any emotion.
Now I became a bit anxious, thinking don’t know what she is going to demand from us. That was the first time she was behaving like this, that was the reason why I was anxious. I said her “Nilakshi, you shouldn't insist on getting any expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of money right now. OK?” “No, Daddy. Please don’t worry I am not going to ask anything which is expensive from you.” After saying this she slowly and painfully, finished eating the whole quantity. I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child to eat something that she dislike intensely.
The fight between my daughter and the bowl of muesli lasted for around 35 minutes. After winning her battle she came to me with her eyes wide open filled with expectation. She came to us as if we were the organizer of the game and she came to us for collecting her prize. She was standing before us, silently asking for her prize. With scared voice I asked her “tell me Nila, what you want from us?” She said “Daddy, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!'
“Atrocious!” shouted my wife looking angrily at her, “a girl child having her head shaved off? Impossible!” My wife, at least she had some words to say to her. I was totally word less after hearing to her demand. She didn’t ask for anything expensive, but then also I was shocked to hear her. After few seconds I pulled her up in my lap and said “Nilakshi, why don't you ask for something else? We will feel bad whenever we will see your head clean-shaved”.
Nilakshi with her soft voice said “No, Daddy. I do not want anything else.”
I tried to plead with her because I don’t want to use force on my baby. I said “Please, Nilakshi, why don't you try to understand our feelings?” With her soft and sweet voice cryingly she said, “Daddy, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Muesli”. (Now tears from Nilakshi’s eye started rolling down to her chick) “And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for. Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra, and its moral that we should honor our promises no matter what?”
It was time for me to put down the weapons, and said to my wife and mother “Our promise must be kept.”
“Are you out your mind?” chorused my mother and wife. “How can we allow her to depart from her hair, today she is demanding this tomorrow who knows she can demand something more weird. If we will start accepting all her demand then one day she will not listen to us.”
I said “No. try to think in other way, if we will go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor her own. Nilakshi, your wish will be fulfilled.”
Nilakshi had a round-face with her head clean-shaven, and her eyes looked big & beautiful. I don’t about Nila but I missed her hair very much.
On Monday morning, I dropped my baby at her school. I was feeling bad while looking at hairless Nilakshi walking towards her classroom. She turned around and waved her hand to say bye. I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, “Nilakshi, please wait for me!”
I was shocked what was there in front of my eyes;
the boy’s head was also hairless. I thought maybe this is the stuff why she
departed from her hair.
A lady got down from the same car came near to me
and without any introduction said that “Sir, your daughter Nilakshi is great
indeed!”, after looking at both the hairless kids going inside the school, she continued,
'That boy who is walking along with your daughter is my son Talin. He is
suffering from ... Leukemia.'
She paused for few seconds to muffle her sobs, and then continued saying “For full last month, Talin could not able to attend his school. Due to the side effect of chemotherapy he lost all his hair. He refused to come back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates. Last week Nilakshi talked to him, and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue. But, I never imagined she would go to this extent and sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son! Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.”
I stood transfixed. Then few seconds later, silently a drop of tear rolled down from my eye. “My little Angel, will you grant me a boon? Should there be another birth for me, will you be my mother, and teach me what Love is?”
She paused for few seconds to muffle her sobs, and then continued saying “For full last month, Talin could not able to attend his school. Due to the side effect of chemotherapy he lost all his hair. He refused to come back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates. Last week Nilakshi talked to him, and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue. But, I never imagined she would go to this extent and sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son! Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.”
I stood transfixed. Then few seconds later, silently a drop of tear rolled down from my eye. “My little Angel, will you grant me a boon? Should there be another birth for me, will you be my mother, and teach me what Love is?”
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