Yes, you must be remembering the ad. One of the cutest advertisements I have seen. No, I am not promoting Dhara Cooking Oil but am promoting my dad.
"Why are you so dark?", one of the frequent questions I used to ask him when I was young.
He would place his hand beside mine and say "See not that dark", he used to tell me.
"Yes you are!!"
Yet every evening when he returned from office, I would run to the door as soon as he rung the bell. He has a unique way of ringing it. Such that, me and my sister would know that it was him. We would tell nothing but a long "Baabaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" as if we saw him after so many days. Every night after dinner, he would sit with both his daughters on each side and he would tell stories to us. Yes he was great! I miss that part now because he feels that now we have better stories to tell him!
The Sunday mornings were special. Didi and me would accompany him to the market on every Sundays. I had no interest in seeing what he bought but I would go because at the end of buying stuffs, he would buy us two chocolates bars. I somehow felt that if I don't go to the market with him, he would not buy them.
Days passed by and suddenly I found myself grown up! We were in Kolkata. I was in class 11 when my dad was posted somewhere else. We certainly couldn't leave Kolkata because I was just into my eleventh grade, my sister had just joined college. So dad left Kolkata.
He doesn't return every evening now but comes in a couple of weeks, sometimes more than a month. Sometimes I feel bad when my friends start up a topic like "Yesterday dad bought this...dad is saying.....dad will come here". I tell him stuffs over phone but there is a difference between listening to your daughter's voice & listening to your daughter sitting beside you!!
But every time he comes back, I would still greet him by saying nothing but "Baabaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa". And yes, I still tell him that he is dark.
This evening I was telling him about a men's wallet I saw in South City Mall.
"The leather is amazing. Why don't you buy it?"
"What's the use?"
"Why won't you buy?"
"Tell me the use. I need to keep money and the wallet I have is good enough."
"Why won't you buy?" I kept on saying him just because I wanted to carry a useless conversation with him. I made a nice tune out of it and kept on singing "Why won't you buy?". I knew he would not buy because I have never seen him buying expensive things for himself.
"Do you want anything?", he told me.
"No. What will I want?"
"Tell me when you want something. When I was young, we never bought such expensive things. We couldn't afford. Yes, I can afford now but I don't want to buy. I only buy things when I need them. We were not so well off to buy things which were made of pure leather. Its worthless if I buy now. I am fifty six. I don't need branded things. But you need, your sister needs, even your mother needs or may she doesn't need but I would give her (gave my mom a faint smile)."
"I have to give you something", I told him.
I gave him a packet. "What's this?"
"Track pants. I forgot about it. There was a offer in Pantaloons during Diwali. 250 rupees was loaded on my card. I bought this for you. And I paid the extra 350 bucks. I paid!!"
He unfolded it and had a big surprised look. He was more happy than surprised. "Its good. The quality is good. Why did you buy it? A 600 bucks pant just to wear at home?"
"My parents can afford this."
He looked at me. A smile which I could relate to nothing! He didn't say anything but as if I could feel that I have grown up.
I hate being serious with him!
"I take enough from mom. Don't worry. Plus, I hardly have classes this month. And I am paid full", I winked at him.
"Why are you so dark?", one of the frequent questions I used to ask him when I was young.
He would place his hand beside mine and say "See not that dark", he used to tell me.
"Yes you are!!"
Yet every evening when he returned from office, I would run to the door as soon as he rung the bell. He has a unique way of ringing it. Such that, me and my sister would know that it was him. We would tell nothing but a long "Baabaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" as if we saw him after so many days. Every night after dinner, he would sit with both his daughters on each side and he would tell stories to us. Yes he was great! I miss that part now because he feels that now we have better stories to tell him!
The Sunday mornings were special. Didi and me would accompany him to the market on every Sundays. I had no interest in seeing what he bought but I would go because at the end of buying stuffs, he would buy us two chocolates bars. I somehow felt that if I don't go to the market with him, he would not buy them.
Days passed by and suddenly I found myself grown up! We were in Kolkata. I was in class 11 when my dad was posted somewhere else. We certainly couldn't leave Kolkata because I was just into my eleventh grade, my sister had just joined college. So dad left Kolkata.
He doesn't return every evening now but comes in a couple of weeks, sometimes more than a month. Sometimes I feel bad when my friends start up a topic like "Yesterday dad bought this...dad is saying.....dad will come here". I tell him stuffs over phone but there is a difference between listening to your daughter's voice & listening to your daughter sitting beside you!!
But every time he comes back, I would still greet him by saying nothing but "Baabaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa". And yes, I still tell him that he is dark.
This evening I was telling him about a men's wallet I saw in South City Mall.
"The leather is amazing. Why don't you buy it?"
"What's the use?"
"Why won't you buy?"
"Tell me the use. I need to keep money and the wallet I have is good enough."
"Why won't you buy?" I kept on saying him just because I wanted to carry a useless conversation with him. I made a nice tune out of it and kept on singing "Why won't you buy?". I knew he would not buy because I have never seen him buying expensive things for himself.
"Do you want anything?", he told me.
"No. What will I want?"
"Tell me when you want something. When I was young, we never bought such expensive things. We couldn't afford. Yes, I can afford now but I don't want to buy. I only buy things when I need them. We were not so well off to buy things which were made of pure leather. Its worthless if I buy now. I am fifty six. I don't need branded things. But you need, your sister needs, even your mother needs or may she doesn't need but I would give her (gave my mom a faint smile)."
"I have to give you something", I told him.
I gave him a packet. "What's this?"
"Track pants. I forgot about it. There was a offer in Pantaloons during Diwali. 250 rupees was loaded on my card. I bought this for you. And I paid the extra 350 bucks. I paid!!"
He unfolded it and had a big surprised look. He was more happy than surprised. "Its good. The quality is good. Why did you buy it? A 600 bucks pant just to wear at home?"
"My parents can afford this."
He looked at me. A smile which I could relate to nothing! He didn't say anything but as if I could feel that I have grown up.
I hate being serious with him!
"I take enough from mom. Don't worry. Plus, I hardly have classes this month. And I am paid full", I winked at him.
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