About my father

A portrait I made for my father on his birthday 

My father celebrated his 70th birthday last week. We had 2 parties at our place, everyone was invited ! All of us - my mother and brothers wrote something about him, about our perception of him. It was a treat to listen to what all of us had to say. Here is what I had to say about him :) 

It is not easy to write about baba. He’s not the one we would usually associate with drama and excitement. He is always about calm and balance; I have never seen him jump with joy at a happy occasion or seen him break down at the time of crisis. He is the original ‘Wall’ ,much more before Rahul Dravid came into the picture. He is a simple man, and a self-made one. He dosen’t boast about the silver spoon in his mouth, he’d rather work his way up, which he did, and set up a great example for the three of us. He chose to live a simple life, when he could have easily led one of indulgence and extravagance. He’s honest and a straight talker. He may sound rude to a lot of people, but he’d rather not beat around the bush. Therefore, he has the most brutal sounding opinion and most generous compliment.

He’s a man of few words with a wry sense of humour. This one is my favorite anecdotes, happened in Bharuch. I was watching a music video featuring a certain very popular girl band of that time. Baba was watching too, for a while. Suddenly he quipped “Isn’t that Old Spice?”

This happened many years ago , and I still laugh when I think about it :D.

He’s also great company. He always has funny stories to tell about his travels or his childhood or something he read in the newspaper. One of my favorite stories is the one about the ghost in the Met house. He narrates it with a particular impact. He is the real traveler. We have enjoyed lots of spur of the moment holidays with him. It never seemed to bother him that he was traveling with a wife and three children. We have been to the most extravagant trips without any travel reservations or hotel bookings, that too in peak holiday season. I guess he knows that an unplanned trip is the best way to enjoy a new city. I began understanding and enjoying his idea of a holiday much later in life, but now when I have , I would rather not travel any other way. His love for food is legendary. He loves to eat and makes no qualms about it ! He loves to listen to western music and loves watching western films. I was first introduced to famous art works and
 artists through his collection of art books. And, I always associate instrumental piano music with him, along with music from the 40’s , 50’s and 60’s. Science claims that music calms the mind and I am totally convinced because I have never seen a calmer person than my baba.

There are lots of things I wished I had inherited from him – His health and his discipline comes foremost to my mind. But, I know these don’t come easy, it’s from a lifetime of commitment and focus. Seems to me he has all the keys to a happy, peaceful and content life. He’s a great example to emulate, not only for me but to all the people who have the privilege of knowing him.  

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