I have started this AC bus travel from my home to office. I have many bus-stop friends, we smile at each other every morning.
Not to forget I have a very special friend... Not my bus stop friend but who accompanies me all thru my journey to office. We share many things.. All close to the heart and confidential. Chutki is her nick name.
Today I wish to mention this because since yesterday we connected with a very special and close to the heart topic. She mentioned to me about her father who is no more with her. A relationship cherished, respected and now missed. A relationship not expressed! She realized how some things not taught where preached by him only to one day make her know how to face things. He was lived with his kids like a friend. He was never very verbose.
This has nothing to do with the cliche line- you understand any persons importance only once he is gone. But this has everything to do with learning with time, understanding actions and the depth in them.
He never deprived his kids of any luxuries of life but at the same time never made them realize that they are much more well to do than the others. The kids had everything that many around them did not even think as a part of their daily life but all the kids knew where they where a basic middle class family (that's how people spoke around 30 years back).
My special friend realized the fact that she never had to be like a rich bitch and had to be down-to-earth always.
After any exam, if Chutki happened to come home with a long face for her exam dint go well.. All he would say is if u waste time crying and thinking now your next exam will be tougher so gather yourself and get started for the next exam with an extra effort.
We need this lesson in every downfall of our life.. This a father taught when his kids knew exams where passed by reading a few books!
Not forgetting to mention the most important of many other learnings and her understanding of her fathers actions we shared...
Her father came from a rich and a very powerful family.. A family close knit and everyone just following the leader-the head of the family. Chutki's father left that house at a very early age saying he wants to study. He studied but was a rich fathers spoilt brat.. Drank coke everyday god knows how many times in a day... It must be tentatively 1950s then... He mentioned it as 'I drank coke instead of water'! He finished his masters from Fergusson College,Pune.. 1970s..
What comes to your mind next when you read this.. A great job with an awesome salary? No! its a semi English municipal school in the day and a night school evening onwards (kids who work all day for a living study here at a minimal fees). He pursued his passion!!
A passion not imbibed on any family member, a passion which kept him going all his life, a passion which got him sound sleep and a content smile..
It does not get over here.. He went to slums and taught the kids.. He bore the cost of education of many.. He never spoke about it to anyone.. He did not want the propaganda. And I must say what a passion... He breath his last with these kids with a chalk in his hand.
Have a passion or a dream.. Pursue it!!
Chutki is right when she kept mentioning that he was very special.. She realized she is still understanding her father with every incident that occurs in her life.. With this we reached our destination and she again hid somewhere leaving me alone among so many people.
