To a modest paint seller


I know him for the past 25 years. He was my first hero. I have admired the way he speaks, he walks and especially the way he combs his hair.

When I was 6, I realized that he owned a shop. He was always out of the house at 7 AM in the morning and he would be back from work only by 9 at night. Sometimes he works during Sundays too. I was annoyed with the fact that he occasionally works on Sundays as that could eat the time he could spend with me.

At 10, I started to know more about his work. Yes, He owned a shop that sells automotive and household paints. He was the only worker in his shop. He handled the entire management of the shop starting from accounts to cleaning to shop. He earned less but had an Independent life. I respected it a lot. He is not like one of us who earns millions but still could go out with his family only on the day his/her manger likes :-(

Once he got his fore-head cut with a fan blade while cleaning the attic in the shop. He reached the nearby hospital and he was treated with 5 stitches on the forehead. He worked for the remaining part of the day and returned to his house at 9 as usual. This is a real example for commitment. Believe me, he did not tell this to me.

He was really fit and he could carry a 50 KG bag of cement to the 5th floor of a building. I used to ask him how tough it would be to do such a thing. He used to just say that it is the way you lift it makes it easier and smile at me. He was so humble and always dressed up simple.

A Decade back he had closed down his shop because of personal commitments, family emergencies and debt. He was into very small jobs after the loss of his shop where he walls bullied by people younger than him. He got very less salary as he did not have a good educational qualification. There were many complaints as he was slow at work and used to forget a lot of things. He was 50 and also unhappy with people treating him with less respect. He had earned less when he owned the shop, but the independence and his self-respect were priceless.

This had been happening for the past 10 years and he had lost all his charm and command. I knew it was not because of his age, but because of his unhappiness.

However one of his friends who knew about his true nature recently offered him a job. The job was to manage a new firm that they had started. He was offered good salary, personal mobile phone and a separate office room etc… He started liking the job a lot. This was not only because he was paid more but because he had got his self-respect and command back.

I am very upset that I could not see him getting ready to office and leaving the house before the clock hits its mark. I believe that he had got his charm back and he was very happy.

I had not spoken to him for a month. So I had called him yesterday. He picked up the phone and said ‘Hello………..’

I said ‘Appa................’

He wanted to speak to me. But he was busy. He said that he was in a discussion with somebody. I was sad that I could not speak to him. But I was also happy to see him busy, see him being important to so many people. Yes he is my dad whom I so proud of.

Appa… though you did not speak to me yesterday. I am very happy about how you are now. You have got your charm back and you are yourself now.

Love you loads

- From your ever-loving son