papa said...

a task-less mind in a lazy body on this sunday afternoon recalled this...

jan '08, we were having tea and snacks with all other chats at one of my father's friend's place. papa had just told him about my job, earnings, my staying at mumbai and uncle was all praises for me. it seemed as if it was one of the greatest thing for him to meet a guy who's an engineer, MBA and now earning good enough to live in mumbai and gift his dad a swanky mobile phone. it was not that uncle was from some lower middle class family to think this way. he owned a car, a duplex house, all those good interiors etc. but still, meeting me was a muse for him.

his 12 year old boy came down from his room, switched on the tv and fixed himself onto cartoon network and immediately got a scream from his dad "go from here and study. all this time you were playing computer games and now watching cartoons. look at gaurav bhaiyya. he used to study a lot when he was of your age" (don't know how he discovered this) then turned to my dad and said "bhaisaab, i am fed up of him. all day watching tv, or busy in computer games or playing cricket. if not these then he will be doing some mischief or just roaming around with other guys in neighbour. ask once to study and then look at his face, as if we are harassing him! don't know what he will do in days to come." obviously, my presence was adding salt to his frustration.

and then this happened. papa laughed, looked at me and then said to uncle "arre, its his time to play and get involved in all this. let him. all will be fine when he will grow up. look at gaurav now. honestly telling you, he was worse than your child at this age! but today..."

i didn't heard what more he said. i was awed, deaf and speechless... was only staring at papa. all those years and all my deeds zoomed in my mind within seconds. yes, i was spoilt, worse, and being the elder child, my parents were really too worried and many a times hopeless about me. yes, i remember well.

but i did well with their help to make it till here. added to all, i was an example now!

if you are average, you'll take average time to progress. and then you cannot compare your's to the pace of a fast horse. but then maybe, knowingly or unknowingly, your stroll will convert into gallops!

i love my parents most. have to set more examples.