Real Love

My wife called, 'How long will you be with that newspaper? Will you
come here and make your darling daughter eat her food?'

I tossed the paper away and walked towards them. My daughter Sindu
looked frightened. Tears were welling up in her eyes. In front of her
was a bowl full of Curd Rice. Sindu is a good child, quite intelligent
for her age. She has just turned eight. She particularly detested Curd
Rice. My mother and my wife are orthodox, and believe firmly in the
'cooling effects' of Curd Rice!

I cleared my throat, and picked up the bowl. "Sindu, darling, why don't
you take a little of this Curd Rice? Just for Dad's sake, dear."

Sindu softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of her hands.
'OK, Dad. I will eat the whole lot of this. But, you should...' Sindu
hesitated. 'Dad, if I eat this entire curd Rice, will you give me
whatever I ask for?'

'Oh sure, darling'

'Promise?'

'Promise'. I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with
mine, and clinched the deal.

'Ask Mom also to make a similar promise', my daughter insisted. My wife
put her hand on Sindu's, muttering 'Promise'.

Now I became a bit anxious. 'Sindu dear, you shouldn't insist on getting
a computer or any such expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of
money right now. OK?'

'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive'. Slowly and painfully, she
finished eating the whole quantity. I was silently angry with my wife
and my mother for forcing my child eat something that she detested.

After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes wide with
expectation. All our attention was on her.

'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.

'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved off?
Impossible!' 'Never in our family!' my mother rasped. 'She has been
watching too much of television. Our culture is getting totally spoiled
with these TV programs!'

'Sindu darling, why don't you ask for something else? We will be sad
seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'

'No, Dad. I do not want anything else', Sindu said with finality.

'Please, Sindu, why don't you try to understand our feelings?' I tried
to plead with her.

'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice'. Sindu
was in tears. 'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for. Now, you
are going back on your words. Was it not you who told me the story of
King Harishchandra, and its moral that we should honour our promises no
matter what?'

It was time for me to call the shots. 'Our promise must be kept.'

'Are you out your mind?' chorused my mother and wife. 'No. If we go
back on our promises, she will never learn to honour her own. Sindu,
your wish will be fulfilled.'

With her head clean-shaven, on Monday morning, I dropped her at her
school. It was a sight to watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her
classroom. She turned around and waved. I waved back with a smile. Just
then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, 'Sinduja, please wait for
me!'

What struck me was the hairless head of that boy. 'May be, that is the
in-stuff', I thought.

'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is a wonder!' Without introducing herself, a
lady got out of the car, and continued,'

That boy who is walking along with your daughter is my son Harish. He is
suffering from...... leukaemia.' She paused to muffle her sobs. Harish
could not attend school the whole of the last month. He lost all his
hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to come
back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the
schoolmates. 'Sinduja visited him last week, and promised him that she
will take care of the teasing issue. But, I never imagined she would
sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son!

Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your
daughter.'

I stood transfixed. And then, I wept. 'My little Angel, you are teaching
me what self-less real love is!'

The happiest people on this planet are not those who live on their own
terms but are those who change their terms for the ones whom they
love...

Love, Touch and Inspire others...