Wishful Thinking!
Bahut nikale mere araman, lekin phir bhi kum nikale”
We live once, and if we live more than once, who remembers to rejoice or remorse? So basically, we have one life to be happy, to be sad, to be loved, to conquer and to make proud. And we all want to make this one time count.
Just like my dad. He was a jolly man with high ambitions, till he learned he has heart disease and cannot involve himself in any kind of heavy physical activity. He was 22 then. Just about what I am today. He was by then captain of his district Cricket team, and champion of Chess and Carom in the State, but he quit all of them. And as I knew him, became a quiet man with very less demands.
His daily routine had only home to office, office to home with minimal baggage as he could not carry more than a lunch and a content smile. But he was happy and he made sure, we were more than that. He made us live what he could not in his first 22 years. I have had most adventures and wackiest trips around country with him, shared most naughtiest pranks and made some of the most funniest jokes. We were a team. All four of us.
We were happy wherever we were and yet we all wanted more. He wanted more. He wanted to live his own life. A life he imagined for himself before the disease. And as I said earlier, we all need one damned incident in our live to send our pretty routine and cared world down the drain, my father’s chance came as his new boss. Who can say, a person who had worked for years in a department with utmost dedication can freed himself just because of a nagging boss.
His new boss was a blessing in disguise. My father started living again. He chose after office hours to fill in lost happiness during the day. His dressing sense improved. We shopped a whole new wardrobe for him (in 25 years of his married life it happened just once). New perfumes, deos, hair sprays, sweat shirts, jackets, the works! He started visiting places he loved, concerts he yearned, plays he always wanted to watch. He always took us along. We painted the town red with endless mushaiyaras, mehfils, nataks, sufi sammelons and what not. It was amazing for him and thus for us.
When he passed away suddenly one night, he was with his family of four with two kids, who had successfully graduated from school and were ready to take on the world and a very strong wife, he knew could conquer the world if she wishes to. He knew he has lived his life, fulfilled his duties, laughed and made people proud. He was content. Yet, he longed for many other wishes. Yet, every day, I count wishes he told would come true one day. Yes! They all will come true one day! I promise you Dad!