"Any man can be a father.. It takes a special man to be a DAD"
Even though he's not on FB to see this - and this is something i swore i would never do - I still want to today. The man who was born in the British rule, saw the Indian flag raised for the first time at the Red Fort - today turns 80!
He has remained madly passionate about cricket, politics and being an entrepreneur all his life. His favorite quote in life i remember used to be - Whats worth doing, is worth doing well. He taught me Passion.
He is such an avid foodie that he pushed all of us to learn to cook and try out different kinds of food from a very young age - I learnt how to make Chinese food before learning daal chawal! He taught me experimentation.
He used to make all the kids eat up whatever was served for food on the table. No excuses. Gulp it down with water if needed. Cannot be choosy. He in fact remains a terror to most of our extended family. But he never cared for his image. He taught me self-confidence and discipline.
He stood behind me during my life's toughest time - without ever making it seem like a favor. No one could dare to question the choices i was making - without going through him. He taught me loyalty.
He would always ask me why i wasnt topping the class and how i could be satisfied with being number 3 or 4. Never heard a single word of praise directly from him - and yet was never in doubt about his pride in me. Till date, he's involved in my choice of roles and companies i work with. He taught me ambition.
In today's world where people are raving about Pink and telling dads to treat their daughters the same as sons, me and my sister are left wondering why!?? We've always been the same. Not today, not yesterday - but right from the day we were born.
I wish every girl in the world gets a dad like him.
Happy Birthday Papa!
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