Who is a father? A father is probably one of the most important persons in everybody’s life – apart from mothers. When I sit back and think about the mysterious ways in which God works, I am completely spellbound by the sheer intricacy with which everything is weaved. Yet, the intricacy seems very simple and easily understandable as time passes.

When I was a kid – an extremely difficult child to handle with too many tantrums – I remember feeling terrified of my father all the time. Frankly speaking, I never felt scared of my mother no matter how strict she was, but the moment I would see my dad’s face turn red with anger, I knew it was time to go into hibernation.

Despite all the scolding, the bickering, the drama and the arguments, I have always considered my dad my BFF. A father plays a very very important role when it comes to his children. Personally, for me, getting to spend time with my father is probably the best thing for me in the world. To hell with late night parties and sleepovers... when I have my dad by my side, I don’t need anything else.

As time passed and I had to leave home to pursue higher studies, things seemed to have changed. The newly-found freedom got into my head and I kind of ignored my entire family for a very long time as I was totally on my own. I clearly remember my parents getting extremely miffed with me for not being able to spare even 5 minutes in a day to ask how they were, and to tell the truth, I found it extremely amusing and at the same time annoying, because I felt my freedom was being hindered.

It has been 7 years since I have been away from home, but I have somehow taken a U-turn and gone back to being what I really was before I left home and became a free bird. Staying away from my loved ones – my father, especially – made me realise how important it is to have somebody you can blindly trust without even thinking about anything.

A father is undoubtedly the best guide a child can have – that too right at home. Sadly, most kids take their fathers for granted, regarding their advices to be completely useless. It is not just a saying that it is very important for a child to have a father in his life, it is indeed a proven fact.

A few lines more :

कितना भय होता था 

कुछ करने का ,

जो गलत प्रतीत होता था,

अद्भुत ये संयोग जुड़ा ,

गलत करने कहने से रोका ॥

हंसी हंसी में ही सत्य -असत्य 

समझा देते थे ,

बिन बोले ही, गूढ़ रहस्य 

बटला देते थे ॥

हृदय से कोमल ,भेष कठोर 

नारियल सरीखे, बाबूजी ॥