Remembering Papa

I still remember the good time that we had spent in Billimora playing together
I still remember how we failed to recognize you after you returned from those long business trips
I still remember those regular vacations that we used to enjoy in Mahabaleshwar and Matheran
I still rembember all the time that you and mom had given us to make sure that we grow up as good individuals
I still remember those days when you would never deny us anything and gave in to all our demands and at the same time taught us about this materialistic pleasure
I still remember how we used to go out for a drive on the scooter and you would buy me an eraser every night and how I would sleep on the way back and drop the same everyday
Today when I think of this, I can just imagine how impatient I would get at such things
It is now that I value your patience
I still remember how you decided to shift us to Ahmedabad just in time so that didi doesnot have to travel long distances to commute to school
I still remember how you stayed alone in Billimora and how you would not miss a single weekend to visit us in ahmedabad
I still remember how you would come to my school to see me off just before catching the train back to Bilimora
I still remember how I used to cry every time you went back to bilimora
I still remember how upset you would get and at this and I can still remember your watery eyes
I still remember how as teenagers you never denied to us any outings and anything that we wanted to do and at the same time inculcated the respect for our culture in us
I always felt that this was because we lived in a small town and did not have the exposure to certain things
However today when I look back, I feel and value that how you managed to hold the same values in our hearts even after we had a sudden exposure to a lot of things as teenagers
I still remember how you wept during your morning pooja when I was not well for days together
I still remember how you shared with us all the ups and downs in life and how we always had a say in everything
I still remember how you wept when we were talking as baa was not feeling well
I still remember how you always valued our decision and let us took all our important decisions on our own
I still remember those fun days when we would run the stairs to see who went up first
I still remember how everyone saw you as a tough man and was afraid of talking to you
I still remember how you were tough on the outside and soft in the inside
I still remember how you would sit and watch didis wedding videos and cry
I still remember how you would guide jiju in his professional decisions and how he still values them
I still remember your sense of humour and how you had friends of all age groups – your dads age and our age
Today I value how important these little thing were in our life and how helpful they are today
I value how you have taught us to stand up for the truth and to live a confident life
I value how you have made us to be confident individuals and thank you so much for the life you have given to us
I do understand and respect the compromises that you had done in life just to ensure a smooth life and a bright future for us
How I wish you were here today to guide Jiju & Rishit in all their professional and personal matters
How I wish you were here today to hold Kai and Keo in your hand and to teach them the same values that we were taught
How I wish you were here today to explain and teach us on how do we inculcate the same habits in our kids

Miss you PAPA...........