Parents

Parents, those people who do everything for us, but somehow we are always able to find a way to be ungrateful to them. What's worse, they completely take it in their stride, as if you acted in a completely natural way.

This little piece is dedicated to my Dad. Never could find the perfect words to go upto him and tell him how much he means to me and how I regret the unkindness I've shown so many innumerable times. I know I lack the tact to bring him to this page too, I just hope by some chance browsing he does come here.

I recollect one incident in particular.

It was sometime when I was in Class 6th, in Delhi. I had one of those groups which just needed an excuse to crucify someone for not being 'cool'. This time watching Disney's Alladin was number one in the list of must-have-done-s. And as fate would have it I had not. I realised this just in time and rushed to my Dad, "I want to see this movie, and I want to see it now." (Boy I must have been one irritating kid!)
Well it obviously didn't matter to me that it was raining cats and dogs outside and that we didn't have a car.
I remember us going in the auto rickshaw to Priya(now PVR) in Vasant Vihar, I remember Dad leaving me near a shop while he stood in the queue in the rain getting a couple of tickets. Then both of us, totally drenched, walked into this theatre and sat in the absolutely front row (we were late and these were the only ones available). I wonder if he felt embarrased walking in drenched into a movie theatre. I was strangely not bothered.

Now whenever I see the movie, or any reference to Disney, I squirm, Guilt poking me with everything she has.

The lesson I learnt? If I have a really trying kid someday and he's really testing my patience, I'll just look back to the moment when dad got the tickets, turned back, totally drenched and flashed a smile and waved the tickets.

Thanks Papa.