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My daddy greatest!!
1977 was just another year. Emergency had ended and so had my VIII standard exams at St. Paul's in Udaipur. My school had switched to CBSE advocated 10+2 pattern and the idea of spending an extra year in school was like a joy of getting better than expected golf handicap. Our school always announced the annual results on 6th May. We will pack our bags to go to Jodhpur to spend the rest of the summer vacation with our bickering cousins the very next day. Trembling hands unfolded the mark sheet searching for "Promoted to class IX" and the joy of finding it right in the middle of page 3, promptly signed by Reverend Father Coutinho, was an answer to the long prayers the night before. I quickly rushed to class V to check how did it go for Girish my younger brother. We were all set for our annual voyage to the Thar Desert.
Jodhpur was a difficult town for us and was filled with many regrets. Our bicycles were back in Udaipur and we were at the mercy our cousins. Many of them now knew how to fly kites and ride scooter. They were allowed to go to the cinema halls by themselves, they could wear long bottomed jeans and keep long hairs. Copying Amitabh style was considered normal. Day one was filled with comparing notes. Standing next to my six month elder cousin who had apparently grown much taller than I, had left my mother quite anxious. Our marks were well hidden behind good-second division which is still a well kept family secret. It was too bad that we could not answer in English to the questions posed by cousin sisters who were in St Mary's, which I must admit was better disciplined all-girls school.
The day ended with complete loss of self-esteem and biting mediocrity. Pretending to sleep, I could still overhear papa and mausaji (uncle) discussing the post-emergency politics. Changing subjects my father said that he has great expectations from me. I was doing extremely good in school and was preparing for IAS examinations. He had already subscribed to the magazine "competition success review" studded with IAS toppers photos and interviews. This was too much aspirational burden to take on in a single day. I dozed off and many years have passed since I recollect the "good-old-days".
I couldn't fulfill all my dad's wishes and get my photo published in CSR, but let me tell you that here is no reward greater than fulfilling even half of our parent’s dreams. Parents live their dreams through their children. Mother's love is unconditional it provides the strength but it is daddy who provides with all the challenges and raises the bar.
Today many social scientists ape western principles and advise parents to hold back. Things are definitely going to change in the western world as well. President Obama never met my dad but he is clearly aware of problem of aspiring Asians and their higher success rate of churning talent.
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