FlashNano 2021
05.11.2021
Day 5: He knew he was going to die.
A Father’s Love
“He knew he was going to die,” she said wistfully, looking at his garlanded portrait on the wall. “If only he had given us some indication early on, we could have…. saved him.”
Her voice choked and she held back tears. I moved forward to give her a hug.
=====×=====
He was the typical middle class man, living in a village in the interiors. He had a Government job, which was and is still considered a prize catch for the job security it offered. And he had a daughter.
She was his only child. He doted on her. But he also ensured that she had the same disciplined upbringing as he did. He wanted her to grow up into a responsible and independent woman.
In a village where hardly any girl was allowed to study after matriculation, she graduated in commerce. And as is the case with an average commerce graduate, she secured a Government job. Careerwise, she was now settled.
At 21, most girls in the area were married and had two children in tow. When she turned 21, he started looking for a suitable match for her. That was when his travails began.
He realised that however broadminded and modern a family may profess to be, when it comes to marriage of one of their progeny, age old prejudices ran deep. Her job, intelligence and culinary skills would have made her a prize catch in the marriage market. But she was dark complexioned. And her cheeks were permanently scarred due to an allergy she had fought several years ago.
“She’s dark. All of us are fair skinned. We want a fair skinned daughter-in-law to continue the family lineage.”
“She’s not beautiful.”
“See her face. We can’t show her to our relatives.”
Every time a family brazenly rejected her, his heart broke. She would console him, but he could sense that her self confidence was taking a hit.
And then God decided to test him further.
She got a promotion, the fastest in her organisation. And earned the jealousy of many colleagues.
One of them took advantage of her simple nature and arranged to get her out of the way. He had a friend pose as a client and hand over to her a file that had a marked hundred rupee note hidden among its contents.
She was framed in a bribery case and landed behind bars. As she lay sleepless that night on the cold floor of the police lockup, surrounded by petty thieves and not-so-small criminals, he sobbed his heart out on his wife’s shoulders.
He woke up in the morning with a determination to fight the case and win.
But first, he had to secure her bail. He dug out his meagre savings. He borrowed. His wife pawned her jewellery.
It took him two weeks to secure her release. It seemed like fourteen years but she was finally home.
The ordeal was far from over. The case had to be fought and won. She had to be reinstated in her job from where she had been suspended in accordance with policy guidelines.
He didn’t hire the most expensive lawyer. He knew money did not achieve results here. He made enquiries and selected the most articulate of them all.
He had to take her to the High Court once a week. The journey from his village home took three hours, one way. He had to take the day off. His boss grumbled. His colleagues tittered. And the malicious ones in the neighbourhood tore her character to shreds.
It was at the time of the first hearing that he had his first spell of dizziness. He had no time to visit the doctor.
He went dizzy again the next morning. He consulted a doctor near his workplace so that his family would never know.
The doctor prescribed tests. He took two weeks to get them done.
The results were devastating. He needed a bypass. He prayed to God to give him the strength to get his girl’s life straightened before he could look into his own health.
He managed to keep his problems a secret from his family. He continued taking her to the court. His lawyer was a gem who managed to fasttrack the case.
Three months later, he started losing his appetite. He had been breathless once too often. His wife had noticed, but he brushed away her concerns.
A couple of weeks more and his girl was finally acquitted. The family celebrated quietly.
She was soon reinstated in her job. Her detractors fumed. The others cheered. And one of them fell in love with her gutsy spirit. This young man sent his parents to her house to ask for her hand.
She liked the boy. They all did. And the boy’s family liked the girl. The next week, they were engaged.
His wife and daughter scolded him that night for neglecting his heath. He assured to continue his treatment. And as he retired for the night, he whispered to his daughter, “God bless you, my girl. Live your life and take care of your mother.” He left her dumbfounded and returned to his bedroom.
He didn’t wake up.
=====×=====
She wiped her eyes and continued, “Maybe it was destiny. His only wish was to see his daughter happy. By God’s grace, I am. He’s fulfilled his wish.” She looked heavenwards and muttered a silent prayer.
Author’s note: This is a work of fiction, but is based on a true story.
Image courtesy: Shutterstock
