#24july

I got up early and felt so good, went up to our balcony and saw the sun rising into a new day. It was 24th July 1997, my birthday. The day we all wait each year, not only because it’s the day of our occurrence but because of  the love and affection we get. Everyone wishes you, teachers don’t scold you, even if you score a perfect zero in tests, gifts, cakes, toffees and chocolates, everything is so good.  

And as a kid we all have these little and small wishes, that we want to complete on our birthdays. I wanted a box of crayons!!

Yes a box of crayons. !!

It has been 4 months since I got into the new school and everyone was asked to get the big crayon box. I still remember it was costing nearly about 100 rupees. I was inclined towards drawing and coloring, I don’t know but it felt good and better than studying the boring books, specially social studies. It was like driving into the new world, but I needed those colors. They  make everything alive like pumping up life into a non-living.

Spending 100 rupees on crayons was way too much from me. My dad was working tirelessly so that he may be able to pay my school fees. I watched him getting up early and coming up late in night. He worked as librarian during the day time and made small TV parts during evening so that he may deliver them early morning to vendors spread across Delhi. He would travel extensively. I can’t even imagine how tiring that schedule must have been. His schedule for food had been jeopardized like he has given up on eating.

I don’t know how I understood all this at a very tender age but I felt that I must not demand anything from my dad…and I never did.. I never asked him for anything.

Initially I made the excuse that I will bring the crayons in next class but that excuse run out shortly and thus it became so embarrassing that one day our drawing teacher punished me for not bringing the crayons in the class. I had no excuse, I couldn’t tell that I cannot afford a 100 Rupees crayons.

How could I tell her that??

I tried to save up some money from here and there but it was taking longer than I expected.

One day I was very sad and you know our moms have a kind of  super power, they know that their kid is facing difficulty.

Mom asked me “ why are you sad??”

“Mom I will have to purchase a crayon box, but its very costly”

“How much is it, tell me? Take money from me, 5??”

“No mummy, its 100!!”

“Hmm, let you dad come, will ask him to get you”

I don’t know what happened that night, dad came very late. And things passed on till my birthday came.

As I woke up early on my Birthday, Dad was getting ready for going out to deliver goods like his daily routine. He wished me Happy Birthday and told that he will bring cake in the evening. He told me to invite my friends over for a small celebration.

I had invited all my friends over for a small celebration at 8 o clock. They all started coming on time. I was waiting for my Dad, as he promised me the cake. Time was not passing quickly, it became 8:30 then 9, and 9:30. I kept waiting for him. Friends were continuously asking for cake but everything was uncontrollable. Mom somehow made some food and fed my friends.

I cried, went up to balcony and cried. It was like a pain originating from middle of my throat. I was thinking that I never asked him for anything so how can dad forgot my birthday. It was turning out to be a very bad day…but somehow I slept off, after an hour of crying,  mom did tried to console me but she couldn’t.

Dad came around 1145 pm, mom was awake. He asked

“Where is Harish??”

“He and his friends kept waiting for the cake. What happened? You got stuck anywhere??”

Mom replied.

“I went to get money from my vendors, thought today is my son’s birthday and I should give him that crayon box, could somehow managed to get 100 Rupees for his crayons but it took time in Lajpat Market. I searched but couldn’t find the same brand he needed and by the time I went to bakery, it got closed, I have searched every location. All are closed” Dad said

“He slept crying for an hour” Mom said.

“Here! Take this 100 Rupees and keep it near his pillow” Dad said.

Mom then kept 100 Rupee near me. I woke up next morning and found that 100 Rupee note lying near me. It a greenish note, a little long and wide. It was little damp and I realized that it has come from my dad’s wallet which might had gotten wet due to his sweat. Shear sweat of my dad, his hard work. I went to thank him but he had already went away for his daily routine delivery to Palam.

I purchased the crayon box and was extremely happy. I could now enter the drawing class room whose entry to me had been banned. That day I made a very good painting and the  Drawing teacher got very impressed She showed it to her fellow teachers as well. I could hear her say that “this boy is very talented” She then told me that I will draw the front page of our Annuall Day Function Program booklet.

In February this year, I had my first Exhibition in Cairo. While I was delivering my keynote speech, I remembered those 100 Rupees. I paused for a moment and continued speaking, my voice got hoarse a little but I felt proud of my Dad. I thanked him from the bottom of my heart.  The applause to my speech was tremendous. 

And all this while I kept thinking that

“How Powerful was my Dad’s 100 Rupees”

Harish Kumar IFS