Do you remember the advertisement that came out years ago...where the little girl says, “My daddy strongest?”
Well, I couldn’t agree more. When I was a little girl, I used to walk around the house screeching at the top of my voice saying, “My daddy strongest” after watching this ad. My dad would beam with joy and have a huge grin on his face. (By the way, I’m actually smiling to myself right now and recollecting those fond memories.)
Most fathers have a lot on their minds, related to stress at work, finance, unpaid bills. They would have a long hard day, but even then when they greet you in the evenings they put a brave smile on and give you a hug.
Although fathers wish they could attend all the PTM’s, annual day functions, sports day, and a whole lot more but it’s just that the responsibilities don’t allow them to. Mostly they are too bogged down with a ton of work.
Fathers miss out on quality time with their kids, starting from the funny crazy things their kids do to wiping their tears when they need a cuddle, binging on ice-cream while staring at the idiot box, teaching them how to ride a bicycle and a lot of other things. But it’s not like fathers don’t want to be a part of all it, they do. But at times they just don’t have a choice.
After the lockdown, things completely changed between my husband and my daughter. Their relationship grew stronger. Before she used to stick to me and ask me for everything. But ever since her Dad has been home (full time), she gets to spend a lot of time with him. They play together, share meals, watch movies, which gives me more free time. She’s delighted to have him around.
I’m not going to go on and on about how it is to be a father but instead, I have four inspiring, heartwarming stories to share about fathers. Do let me know which story you like the best. Don’t stop here! Keep scrolling :)
MAK SINGH
'Dad to be.'
Mak Singh was simply delighted when he found out that his wife, Preeti was pregnant. After a few regular visits to the gynaecologist, the doctor advised them to get an ultrasound done when she was 7-weeks pregnant. They both were seated next to each other in the waiting room.
Mak glanced around the rooms and saw five other couples waiting for their turn. He noticed how calm and quiet the room was. But he was fidgety. Mak just couldn’t stop thinking about what was going to happen. He kept fiddling with his phone and shaking his right leg. Preeti on the other hand was comparatively more calm and composed. She gently put her hand on his leg and looked him in the eye and said, “Everything is going to be ok! Calm down!”
Mak took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. He tried to divert his mind. He then thought to himself how difficult all this might be for his better half. So he tried to lighten things up a bit.
“Do you remember when we first met?” asked Mak.
“Of course! Why?” replied Preeti.
“Do you remember when we’re sitting at the table in the restaurant and you saw the waiter walk by with a plate of pav bhaji. You stopped listening to what I was saying and you just stared at the food,” he continued.
Preeti giggled and said, “And until I didn’t get to eat pav bhaji I was not ready to carry on our conversation.” They both had a good laugh.
Mak and Preeti spoke about how quickly things fell into place for them. Starting from planning their wedding to their honeymoon, shifting to a new house, changing jobs, and now they were going to have a baby.
“It’s been quite a roller coaster ride since the past two and a half years,” Mak added.
The nurse interrupted their conversation and said, “Preeti, we are ready for you, please follow me.”
They both looked at one another in the eye giving a reassuring smile and nodded as they headed towards the ultrasound room.
The doctor put some jelly on Preeti’s tummy and looked at the screen. She then showed them a tiny embryo and made them listen to the heartbeat of their baby.
Mak was fascinated as he stared at the tiny embryo. He just couldn’t take his eyes off it and had tears of joy rolling down his cheeks. He held Preeti’s hand and said, “That’s junior Mak or junior Preeti. Our baby!”
Preeti held his hand tight and said, “Yes that’s our little baby.”
Thereafter Mak decided to get himself together. All he wanted was to be a better husband and look after his wife. He stopped coming home late at night. He helped her with the household chores. He took full responsibility for looking after their furry lab, Jordan, and a whole lot more.
But what made things a lot easier was that his parents were very supportive and understanding.
Time flew by. Preeti was 7- months pregnant. Mak stood in the balcony and sipped a pint of chilled beer. The stress and anxiety kept increasing but he couldn’t wait to hold his newborn baby in his arms. Although at times he felt if this was the right time to have a child with the current on-going situation of Covid19.
‘Will I be a good dad?’ ‘I hope I can provide everything for my family’. Having these thoughts wandering around in his mind, Preeti came from behind and put her hand on his shoulder and said, “You’re lost in your thoughts.”
Mak smiled and said, “Yea, I was just thinking about us,” Preeti smiled and put her arm around his waist. They both looked at the bright full moon and a few stars scattered here and there in the dark sky. Finally, Preeti broke the silence and said, “My feet are killing me. I’m tired of standing. Please do your magic and help me get some sleep.”
Mak smiled and took Preeti by her hand and he walked her to their bedroom. He gently caressed her belly for some time and they both chatted about the future. Before dozing off Preeti said, “You’re going to be a great dad. Stop thinking so much,” and she kissed him on the cheek and dozed off in his arms.
CHAKRESH SAHNI
'His daughter gave him a new life.'
Chakresh Sahni was blessed with a beautiful baby girl, named Meera. The whole family was on cloud 9. Unfortunately, the family hit rock bottom, when Chakresh was diagnosed with cancer 15 days after the birth of his child.
Back in the day Chakresh and his wife, Henna would argue over small petty things. But at the end of the day, they would make up. They would never call it a night if things were unsettled between them.
Heena would hug him tightly and say, “Let’s have 10-12 kids, the house would be lively. It’s so boring and dull.”
On Chakresh’s birthday, Heena announced the good news and told him he was going to be a father. Chakresh couldn’t believe it. He was thrilled to bits. He couldn’t wait for those nine months to go by so he could finally hold his newborn baby in his arms. He dreamt about playing with his little one.
After the birth of their child, things got worse for Chakresh. With a heavy heart, he left his newborn baby and wife and got admitted to the hospital to start his treatment.
Chemotherapy started and soon the news spread among the doctors and nurses that a young man has been admitted and is battling his life for his only newborn baby girl. His treatment was intense and would start at 7:30 am and go on till night with a lot of pricking and poking.
Heena couldn’t be by his side but the best thing she could do was to send him videos and pictures of their little bundle that would bring him immense joy and gave him the will to live and get better. So every morning Chakresh would watch videos and flip through pictures of his little angel. He would look forward to seeing more pictures during the day.
Before the doctors started going through his daily vital stats they would ask him, “Have you seen Meera’s video today?” They all felt that the only way to pull him through the day was to talk about Meera.
Soon enough the side effects of chemotherapy kicked in. He started losing a lot of hair. Whatever hair was left they shaved it off his head. After a couple of days, Chakresh was allowed to go home. He was uncertain because he thought his daughter might get scared and cry. But it was the complete opposite. She took one look at him and was a little puzzled at first but then she grinned at him. Chakresh just couldn’t hold back. He picked her up and gave her a tight hug. Tears of joy rolled down his face. He could feel his heartache for how long he waited to hold his baby in his arms once again.
But it was not yet over. Little did he know that this was just the beginning. The next 15 days were hell. He was back in the hospital. His health deteriorated even more. He lost a lot of weight. He was off food. They made him eat from a food bag (liquid food).
His doctor could make out that Chakresh had reached the borderline he needed to do something that would make him bounce back.
One morning the doctor told Chakresh to get his wife on the line and said, “Tell Meera to tell her father he needs to recover! He needs to fight! He needs to buck up!”
Those words hit Chakresh hard! He knew that deep down inside he had to make it. He had to get better for his little baby who is waiting for him at home. Soon enough Chakresh started to fight back. It took him 4 long months to recover. And he did it!
Today, Meera is four years old. She is thrilled when her dad comes back from work. Meera absolutely adores her papa and looks after him; she even makes sure he eats his dinner. They both love painting and playing with her dollhouse. After a long day, Meera would cuddle up next to her papa and hug his arm and sleep. There is no replacement for that feeling in this world.
Chakresh faced life and death and he survived cancer. Only because of his little girl.
RK SINGH
'A story of unconditional love.'
RK sat in the balcony and took a quick glance at the newspaper as he sipped his morning cup of tea. He went for a jog in the park, like any other day. He has always been very particular about his routine and fitness not because he works with the Indian Police Service but that’s how he has always been since he was a kid, dedicated and disciplined.
It had been three months since RK and Neelima tied the knot and had settled down in Delhi. As time went by, they both became accustomed to each other. Having an arranged marriage had its share of taking a little more time to settle in.
Having the first three months of marriage go by, one evening RK got a call from his family in Kolkata. He got the shock of his life when he got to know that his elder brother, Ashok has passed away. A truck hit him as he was riding his bike home and died on the spot. It was an unfortunate incident that shattered the entire family. After hearing this tragic news the first thing that came to RK’s mind was Ashok’s kids, Prabhakar, and Pratibha. But RK’s dad took charge and looked after both the kids and their mother. Over a period of time, it was hard for Rk’s dad to cope, as he wasn’t getting any younger.
RK decided to take the reins in his hands and brought Prabhakar home. But RK had no experience of being a dad and overnight he became a dad of a 13-year-old boy. He needed to ensure that Prabhakar received emotional security, love, and discipline which is an important factor in a child’s life. He also made the arrangement for Prabhakar’s grandmother to come and stay with them so he would have a familiar face around to make him feel comfortable and secure.
He also needed to make sure that Neelima was ready as she was pregnant with their first child. She was preparing herself for motherhood and she now had a young boy to take care of. Soon things slowly fell into place. Four months later Neelima gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Gaurang. For Prabhakar, it was hard enough to be separated from his little sister Pratibha and now he had his baby brother all to himself. Over a period of time, Prabhakar felt very protective of his little brother.
At times RK found it difficult to balance everyone’s expectations. He had a lot on his shoulders starting from taking care and making sure his parents were secure. He was very gentle and cautious when it came to Prabhakar. He tried his best to make sure that he was there for him even though he was extremely occupied with work. He made sure that he and Neelima were getting along and we’re on the same page.
Over a period of time, Neelima gave birth to their second child Aryan. Having three boys at home changed everything. The aura of the house took a turn for better.
As they all grew up together, their bond grew stronger. They all would make noise and make the most of their time spent together. But it got even better when Pratibha finished her graduation. She and her mom moved to RK’s house in Delhi. Her arrival added a lot of love and warmth to the family. Pratibha absolutely dotes all three brothers and looks up to RK as her role model. RK was very clear about one thing from the very beginning. He never allowed his kids to take undue advantage of his position and power.
Prabhakar grew into a fine young man. He’s very discreet and personal. He started off three different ventures and gained a lot of experience out of them. Today he is working to achieve greater heights as his business is flourishing. As for Gaurang, he would like to follow his dad’s footsteps. Aryan is into sports and plays at the national level. Lastly, Pratibha is preparing for civil services. All four kids turned out to be great thanks to the unconditional love, support, and guidance of RK and Neelima.
One morning, RK sat in his balcony and sipped his cup of tea. He and Neelima chatted about how life has been such a rollercoaster ride.
A couple of minutes later, his younger son, Aryan calls out and says, “Dad, let’s go... We’re going to get late.”
RK jumps out of his chair, kisses his wife on the forehead, and says, “ I am blessed with so much of love and affection from all my four children,” and makes his way downstairs. He sees all four kids all geared up to play football on Sunday morning and thought to himself, ‘life just can’t get better than this!’
Dr. PATRICK KULGER
'The fun-loving grandpa.'
“Are you ready to go birthday boy?” asked Marie Therese as she walked out of the dressing room wearing a beautiful blue saree.
“I have kind of figured out how to drape a saree after several visits we have made to India over the years,” she continued.
Marie Therese walked up to her husband and helped him fix his tie.
“You’re looking gorgeous,” said Dr.Patrick and smiled as he gave her a big hug and a kiss.
“Let’s go! We can’t be late for your gala birthday party,” she said.
Dr. Patrick and Marie Therese got in the car that was a chauffeur-driven which was sent to pick them up. Both of them were very excited to attend the party to celebrate Dr. Patrick’s 70th birthday hosted by a team of doctors who work together. Dr. Patrick is a renowned orthopedic surgeon and loves performing unique surgeries in Delhi and Chennai. The doctors in Delhi absolutely adore him and have a special place in their hearts. It was the couple’s last night in Delhi and they were going to fly out the next day and had decided to wrap up the party quickly. Both of them were looking forward to seeing their grandkids back home in Germany.
Patrick and Marie Therese have been married for 44 years. They have been blessed with one daughter and four sons. Over a period of time the family grew, their kids got married and had children of their own. Marie Therese and Patrick are proud grandparents of nine naughty adorable grandchildren. Five girls and four boys. You can imagine the chaos and excitement when they are all together under one roof.
On the following weekend after reaching back home, Dr. Patrick and Marie Therese spent their evening at their friend’s house and chatted over a cup of tea. They had so much to catch up on. But as soon as Patrick gave signals to Marie Therese to leave but she immediately came up with something else to talk about. Marie Therese tried to make her husband stay as long as she could as she needed to give her kids and grandchildren time to set up the house for a surprise party for their grandpa. They gave her strict instructions to keep Granpa there for at least two hours.
Marie Therese dragged on their evening tea for as long as she could. Finally, they went home. Dr. Patrick had no clue that he was in for a huge surprise.
He had no idea that everyone was hiding upstairs patiently waiting to give him a belated surprise birthday party.
As they entered the house, the entire family rushed downstairs and said, “SURPRISE!!”
Dr. Patrick was taken off guard and was overwhelmed by their wonderful gesture. He was delighted to see them all after such a long time. The kids felt that this get together was overdue as they felt horrible that they missed his 70th birthday and had to make it up to him.
For being a dedicated surgeon he never had the chance to spend time with his family. Although he regretted it, he didn’t have much of a choice. But ever since he became a grandpa he had his grandchildren all to himself. Their get-togethers were priceless. Marie Therese prepared a scrumptious dinner and they all wined, dined, and celebrated. Their grandchildren had umpteen questions about their trip to Delhi and Grandpa patiently answered each and every question. Soon enough it was time for bed, he tucked them in bed and read out their favorite bedtime story.
Reading to his grandchildren gave him immense pleasure. He would lovingly help prepare their breakfast and take them for a long drive before they all went back home. Once the stayover was over, Marie Therese and Patrick would sit together and scroll through their family pictures and relive the good times.
But during this period of lockdown, Dr. Patrick bought a microphone for his computer so he could read a chapter of Moby dick to his grandkids so he doesn’t miss out on the quality time he can have with his little ones. Since he missed out on a lot with his own children, he isn’t going to make the same mistake with his grandchildren.
After all, a father is a father. He completes the family. There are all sorts of dads out there, but you need to remember, whatever they do, they do it for you.
Like I used to say when I was a kid, “My daddy strongest!”
Wishing all the dads out there, a very HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
Stay strong!
Celebrate love!
Celebrate life!
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