Fun326

Little Love [touching story]

Little Love [touching story] What Love is?

The story begins like this...

'How long will you be poring over that newspaper? Will you
come here right away and make your darling daughter eat her
food?'

I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene. My only
daughter Sindu looked frightened. Tears were welling up in her
eyes. In front of her was a bowl filled to its brim with
Curd Rice.

Sindu is a nice child, quite intelligent for her age. She
has just turned eight. She particularly detested Curd
Rice. My mother and my wife are orthodox, and believe
firmly in the 'cooling effects' of Curd Rice!

I cleared my throat, and picked up the bowl. "Sindu,
darling, why don't you take a few mouthful of this Curd
Rice? Just for Dad's sake, dear. And, if you don't, your
Mom will shout at me.'

I could sense my wife's scowl behind my back. Sindu
softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of her
hands. 'OK, Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the
whole lot of this. But, you should...' Sindu hesitated.
'Dad, if I eat this entire Curd Rice, will you give me
whatever I ask for?'

'Oh sure, darling'.

'Promise?'

'Promise'. I covered the pink soft hand extended by my
daughter with mine, and clinched the deal.

'Ask Mom also to give a similar promise', my daughter
insisted. My wife slapped her hand on sindu's, muttering
'Promise', without any emotion.

Now I became a bit anxious. 'Sindumma, you shouldn't
insist on getting a computer or any such expensive items.
Dad does not have that kind of money right now. OK?'

'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive'. Slowly and
painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity. I was silently
angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child eat
something that she detested.

After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her
eyes wide with expectation. All our attention was on her. 'Dad, I
want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her
demand!

'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'a girl child having her head
shaved off? Impossible!'.

'Never in our family!' my mother rasped. 'She has been
watching too much of television. Our culture is getting
totally spoiled with these TV programs!'

'Sindumma, why don't you ask for something else? We will
be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'

'No, Dad. I do not want anything else', Sindu said with
finality.

'Please, Sindu, why don't you try to understand our
feelings?' I tried to plead with her.

'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd
Rice'. Sindu was in tears. 'And you promised to grant me
whatever I ask for. Now, you are going back on your words.
Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra, and
its moral that we should honour our promises no matter
what?'

It was time for me to call the shots. 'Our promise must be
kept.'

'Are you out your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.

'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn
to honour her own. Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.'

With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and
her eyes looked big & beautiful.

On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a
sight to watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her
classroom. She turned around and waved. I waved back with
a smile. Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted,
'Sinduja, please wait for me!'

What struck me was the hairless head of that boy. 'May be,
that is the in-stuff', I thought.

'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!' Without
introducing herself, a lady got out of the car, and
continued, 'That boy who is walking along with your
daughter is my son Harish. He is suffering from ... leukaemia.'

She paused to muffle her sobs. 'Harish could not attend
the school for the whole of the last month. He lost all
his hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy. He
refused to come back to school fearing the unintentional
but cruel teasing of the schoolmates. Sinduja visited him
last week, and promised him that she will take care of the
teasing issue. But, I never imagined she would sacrifice
her lovely hair for the sake of my son! Sir, you and your
wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your
daughter.'

I stood transfixed. And then, I wept. 'My little Angel,
will you grant me a boon? Should there be another birth for me,
will you be my mother, and teach me what Love is?'