My Father
His age was 14-15 when he got married to my mom. However, gawna came after 3 yrs. So he was around 18 when he saw my mom for the first time. Mom, being a north Indian female was shy but she says that dad was shyer than her. They hardly made any conversations for a month.
Before he met my mom, he already started working in Mumbai at an age of 16. His uncle (Father’s brother) was the first member in the family to discover Mumbai. Prior to his discovery, our condition was miserable in village. My Father has 4 brothers and a sister. My grandfather had 3 brothers. The first one had 3 daughters and a son. The second one who taught the family about Mumbai failed to marry, however he tried several times.
Pani-Puri, the business which changed the fortunes of our family. Started by his uncle and then supported by all his brothers including him. My father shared with me how his uncle treated him and the brothers. He used to scold them, hit them for every minute mistake. In return, they used to get nothing except one cloth for a year, shelter in Mumbai’s famous residence, jhopdi and self cooked food. They tolerated this for years and gradually diverted to taxi business. Meanwhile, we purchased enough lands to be the richest family in the village. One can say that the hard work of uncle and the four brothers paid off.
None of the family members thought about making property in Mumbai. They were all too proud about their achievements in village. Somehow, my dad purchased a house in Borivali. He managed it from his extra savings after lending his monthly share to the family. My father says that he was so good with taxi that his contemporaries were jealous with his work. He never lost the race of earning little more than them. With his utmost respect towards elder brother, he purchased the house on his name. His plan was to bring me in Mumbai and educate me through English medium school. My mom was part of this plan. However, his elder brother had other plans. He took the house and brought his family. My father kept silent and all those protests from my mom went in vain. This was the first major betrayal taste for my father, just the beginning!
However, my parents didn't gave up their dream and send me to Mumbai with my uncle (Mama). I was four and life without mom was like hell. However, this isn’t my blog so let’s continue with my dad. He used to visit me twice a month and lend me coins and chocolates. I hardly used to speak with my dad as I was too scared from him. After 5-6 years of marriage, my parents had a daughter, after 2 years another daughter and after another 2 years this idiot happened. Although he provided me special facilities, he never distinguished me and my sisters in general things. I hardly used to speak to him and even today our conversation is minute.
In childhood and teenage days, whenever I asked for material things, he availed it the very next day. While returning to his native, he used to carry gifts for each member of the family. Tobacco and namkeen for his uncle, sugar and sweets to his father, chocolates for kids, saree for women and clothes for everyone. He still does the same, even though we are separate families now.
The division of our family collapsed our status in the village. The property was divided in 3 parts. The grandfather with only one son got one entire part. One part was further divided among four brothers of my father. The third part belonged to his uncle who never married. Uncle was closer to his other brother (grandfather with only one son). So he divided his part into two and one part was handed to lone son, whereas the other part was divided among the 4 brothers. If you notice, the man (lone son) who holds around 50% of the entire property did nothing to earn it. Even his father had hardly any contribution in it. That’s life. My father’s greedy elder brother went all the way to oppose it but he realized that the opposite was not my father this time.
He loves his village and wants to be there forever, quite opposite to me. We always have arguments about the property in village. We never wanted to shift Nalasopara but in that budget we had no better option. He is purchasing a new taxi on loan as the old one got cancelled. He wants me to study further. He has to marry his second daughter in a year or two. Despite these, he borrowed money and invested in village. Now he is paying interest amt for the same. My thinking is that if we sell a part of our village property, we can have a better life in Mumbai. What is the use of your property if it cannot offer you an easy life? There’s hardly anyone to take proper care of it. I even said that the taxi which offered him so much in his life should be more important than a piece of land in village. All he is concerned is his status among his people. “No one sells a land, people still die for it”, these are his words. Shakespeare was Idiot to say, “What’s in a name?”
When I was in 5th class, he purchased a second hand truck with his partner friend. It included all his savings and some borrowings as well. He had deep faith in his partner, who took his signature, sold the truck and ran away. My mom was heart broken but my dad hardly showed any concerns. One of his typical characters is that he rarely regrets for his decisions. He paid all the debts and was ready for another disaster. He is too lazy to keep account of his debts and too weak to ask people who have borrowed from him. He cares for others feelings and mostly lazy in mental work. He is always ready with physical stuffs. I just wonder if it’s in his genes. I have some traits but the thought of being like my father haunts me and I try to do better. Yes! I don’t want to be like him.
Few years back, he lend money to his loving elder brother to help him in his cause. He hid this from my mom. Loving brother made some stories and said the money is adjusted in some property dispute. I and my mom hate him like anything!
My father loves watching programs based on mythological stories, bollywood action movies, eating stuffs with lots of chilies, sharing stories among his people, serving cows and buffaloes, purchasing gifts for his family members in village, etc. He still prefers to have few clothes and diet of roti, rice, dal and bhaji. You can easily trust him and be assured about him. One can easily deceive him as well.
Seeing my relatives having high lifestyle, one day my mom asked my dad, “What have you created in your more than 30 years of hard work, nothing?” My dad replied, “My children are graduates, none of my villagers have been able to do that”
My father works really hard. I always had this feeling and I still feel it. I hope to retire him in 5 years. He has done so much for me and I owe him for being whatever I am.
Before he met my mom, he already started working in Mumbai at an age of 16. His uncle (Father’s brother) was the first member in the family to discover Mumbai. Prior to his discovery, our condition was miserable in village. My Father has 4 brothers and a sister. My grandfather had 3 brothers. The first one had 3 daughters and a son. The second one who taught the family about Mumbai failed to marry, however he tried several times.
Pani-Puri, the business which changed the fortunes of our family. Started by his uncle and then supported by all his brothers including him. My father shared with me how his uncle treated him and the brothers. He used to scold them, hit them for every minute mistake. In return, they used to get nothing except one cloth for a year, shelter in Mumbai’s famous residence, jhopdi and self cooked food. They tolerated this for years and gradually diverted to taxi business. Meanwhile, we purchased enough lands to be the richest family in the village. One can say that the hard work of uncle and the four brothers paid off.
None of the family members thought about making property in Mumbai. They were all too proud about their achievements in village. Somehow, my dad purchased a house in Borivali. He managed it from his extra savings after lending his monthly share to the family. My father says that he was so good with taxi that his contemporaries were jealous with his work. He never lost the race of earning little more than them. With his utmost respect towards elder brother, he purchased the house on his name. His plan was to bring me in Mumbai and educate me through English medium school. My mom was part of this plan. However, his elder brother had other plans. He took the house and brought his family. My father kept silent and all those protests from my mom went in vain. This was the first major betrayal taste for my father, just the beginning!
However, my parents didn't gave up their dream and send me to Mumbai with my uncle (Mama). I was four and life without mom was like hell. However, this isn’t my blog so let’s continue with my dad. He used to visit me twice a month and lend me coins and chocolates. I hardly used to speak with my dad as I was too scared from him. After 5-6 years of marriage, my parents had a daughter, after 2 years another daughter and after another 2 years this idiot happened. Although he provided me special facilities, he never distinguished me and my sisters in general things. I hardly used to speak to him and even today our conversation is minute.
In childhood and teenage days, whenever I asked for material things, he availed it the very next day. While returning to his native, he used to carry gifts for each member of the family. Tobacco and namkeen for his uncle, sugar and sweets to his father, chocolates for kids, saree for women and clothes for everyone. He still does the same, even though we are separate families now.
The division of our family collapsed our status in the village. The property was divided in 3 parts. The grandfather with only one son got one entire part. One part was further divided among four brothers of my father. The third part belonged to his uncle who never married. Uncle was closer to his other brother (grandfather with only one son). So he divided his part into two and one part was handed to lone son, whereas the other part was divided among the 4 brothers. If you notice, the man (lone son) who holds around 50% of the entire property did nothing to earn it. Even his father had hardly any contribution in it. That’s life. My father’s greedy elder brother went all the way to oppose it but he realized that the opposite was not my father this time.
He loves his village and wants to be there forever, quite opposite to me. We always have arguments about the property in village. We never wanted to shift Nalasopara but in that budget we had no better option. He is purchasing a new taxi on loan as the old one got cancelled. He wants me to study further. He has to marry his second daughter in a year or two. Despite these, he borrowed money and invested in village. Now he is paying interest amt for the same. My thinking is that if we sell a part of our village property, we can have a better life in Mumbai. What is the use of your property if it cannot offer you an easy life? There’s hardly anyone to take proper care of it. I even said that the taxi which offered him so much in his life should be more important than a piece of land in village. All he is concerned is his status among his people. “No one sells a land, people still die for it”, these are his words. Shakespeare was Idiot to say, “What’s in a name?”
When I was in 5th class, he purchased a second hand truck with his partner friend. It included all his savings and some borrowings as well. He had deep faith in his partner, who took his signature, sold the truck and ran away. My mom was heart broken but my dad hardly showed any concerns. One of his typical characters is that he rarely regrets for his decisions. He paid all the debts and was ready for another disaster. He is too lazy to keep account of his debts and too weak to ask people who have borrowed from him. He cares for others feelings and mostly lazy in mental work. He is always ready with physical stuffs. I just wonder if it’s in his genes. I have some traits but the thought of being like my father haunts me and I try to do better. Yes! I don’t want to be like him.
Few years back, he lend money to his loving elder brother to help him in his cause. He hid this from my mom. Loving brother made some stories and said the money is adjusted in some property dispute. I and my mom hate him like anything!
My father loves watching programs based on mythological stories, bollywood action movies, eating stuffs with lots of chilies, sharing stories among his people, serving cows and buffaloes, purchasing gifts for his family members in village, etc. He still prefers to have few clothes and diet of roti, rice, dal and bhaji. You can easily trust him and be assured about him. One can easily deceive him as well.
Seeing my relatives having high lifestyle, one day my mom asked my dad, “What have you created in your more than 30 years of hard work, nothing?” My dad replied, “My children are graduates, none of my villagers have been able to do that”
My father works really hard. I always had this feeling and I still feel it. I hope to retire him in 5 years. He has done so much for me and I owe him for being whatever I am.
posted by pangy at
5:36 AM
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