My Hero

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." - Clarence Budington Kelland.

The cool wind of the Marina was hitting hard on my cheeks which got cold. I was grabbing tight around him, I was scared I might fall of. It was a 175cc Rajdoot, it was a pride ride. "My dad's got a Rajdoot, Rambali's dad'd just got a TVS 50". A Pride ride for sure.

I liked all the science fiction stories he told me as much as I used to like the bike rides in Marina beach. He is a versatile reader, reads Kenneth Anderson and Jim Corbett's Nine man eaters and one rogue, tiger hunting stories. Also reads Sherlock Holmes, Fredrick Foresith, Arthur Hailey and what not. The habit of reading stuck to me from young age. Actually I started with Shikari Shambu and Uncle Anu in Tinkle...

He was an Engineer with a Hydraulics Company. His achievements made me think he was my Hero. That go getter attitude he had ...

Then it happened one fine day. He came back with a copy of his resignation letter. He resigned the job. "We will go to our native and settle down.. we have three houses there, whats more" he said. The very notion of leaving that big city and busy life and settling down in a remote town shocked me. My Mom was the worst affected, she had never lived anywhere out of this city.

I went to boarding school, secluded from the city life but still very much located in the heart of the city. I was lonely. There were no more pride rides, no more tinkle reading, no more eating Bhel and Pani Puri in the roadside stall. It was a famous Non-Governmental Spiritual organization (Names not mentioned). We should not have visitors more than once a month, no fancy wrist watches, no pocket money, no fancy T-shirts, no outings. I was lonely. I did not get to see much of my family. In one corner of my heart, I started hating the person whom I most loved ... My Hero. I was drawn towards meditation (though I was too young for that). Morning Bhajans, Evening Poojas, I was drawn into Music.

When I completed a year, I had to make a decision that most of the Indian students have no difficulty making. Whether to choose Science or Commerce as my stream. I made the right choice I thought. Science, obviously - my only fascination. Two months passed, I seemed to like the Physics a lot better than the other Subjects.

"Nirupesh, the head master wants to see you", the class teacher told me. There he was sitting in front of the headmaster, My Hero. "Your father feels that it is appropriate for you to choose commerce. He says you are lazy and would not fare well in Science. I deny that, however you cannot be lazy and get into an engineering college in the state today. He feels that you should take up something like Chartered Accounting". After two months of studying Science, I had to move into a different class, different people, different teachers, different subject.

"Debit what comes in, Credit what goes out". The ABC of accountancy, was hard to remember. I missed Doppler Effect, and Carbon 14 Dating in Organic Chemistry. My Hero ? No he is not. He is the person who ruined my career dream. How could he possibly think I would have a better future studying commerce? He was happy about the change.

When I was in the final year of B.Com it happened, My mom was hospitalized. She was a diabetic. My Semester exams starts today. My mom would be taken inside the ICU the same time I would enter the exam hall. I could see my hero (is he or is he not) going to the small Ganesh temple in the hospital every day three times, and praying. My Hero, yes he is, has not lost hopes even the doctors have. That go getter attitude ?! Finally it happened, after 15 days of struggle, she passed away. It was a multi-organ failiure. he broke down, but only for sometime. I did not cry. My sister, was the worst affected, I told her not to worry, I knew there was someone who could take care of us - My Hero (yes he is).

Years have passed, My sister is studying what she wanted to study, B.tech (Bio-Informatics). This time he did not want to interfere. I am a Support Engineer for one of the most demanding segment in the IT industry. I am happy with my job today. I called him up yesterday, he was happy to be able to talk to me anytime he wanted. I bought him a mobile phone .... My Hero, still sitting in that remote town all alone, spending time wisely, thinking of how to get me and my sister settled in life, still reading books, only reading different authors now. He started Michael Crichton's after I once told him it was good ....

[Note: this post is dedicated to my dad - I know you dont pay attention to stuff I write, but if you ever read this, I love you Mr.B.N.Joshi]