sorrow

My father and I are very close to each other. We share a different kind of love and relationship which only we can understand. I enjoy his company a lot and find his words filled with knowledge and wisdom. We often spen a lot of time together. Every evening we go for a ride or walk down the lane. We pass through the same area everyday.

Often we stop near the ice cream parlour and dad always used to ask me. "Do you want a treat of a cone?" And I readily used to go and pick up one. Mine was always chocolate and his was always kulfi.

Actually it was always he who used to ask me for a treat. I never asked him if he wanted a treat.

But that day, he stopped the car near the ice cream parlour and asked me whether he could have a treat or not. I was shocked, for it was the first time he had asked me for a treat. I had only Rs20 just enough for the treat which I had saved up from my weekly allowance. I thought for a secound and my heart also agreed to the proposal but my only problem was the Rs20. I had saved the money with great difficulty and giving it away that to just for an ice cream cone was a bit of a let down.

I wanted to say "yes" but somehow I said "no"to my dad. He didnt show a bit of disaapointment on his face. But I knew he had felt bad. He never used to show his sorrow to anyone. Even when my mom died, instead of being broken down he consoled me. He had never shown his tears to anyone. In the end when everyone walked out of the house he broke down. At first he tried to control himself.He put me to bed and walked into his room. For a long time my dad and I were awake. I was just waitting for him to go to sleep so that I could go and sleep besides him. I was missing my mom a lot. For a long time I waited but then I could not control myself. I went into his room. My dad was standing besides the window and looking outside. I went and put my hand on his shoulder. He turned and hugged me. That was the first time I had seen tears in my fathers eyes. We both cried a lot.

At that moment, I was just remembering the Rs20 and the ice cream parlour. I had completely forgotten then that he used to  spen Rs 20 on me everyday and I was not even willing to spare that much on him once. I was ashamed of myself.

The next day my dad did not stop at the ice cream parlour. I asked him to take a turn and go back to that place. I asked him  there whether he would mind if I gave him a treat. My dad was so happy that he could not speak a word. His smile made me understand everything. We ate the ice cream and went back home happily.

"Infact all one needs to understand a person is to get close to him."