An angel who chose us as parents.
29th January 1985 the day my daughter was born in a town - Dharwad -400 Kms from were I was working - Bangalore.
On the evening of 29th I received a call to tell me that I was blessed with a baby girl ... and in an instant I was on my way to Dharwad, an overnight journey, which for me, seemed like an eternity as I was anxious through out my 400 km journey and had hardly slept just imagining about MY new born baby.
It was early morning when I reached the place and went straight to the nursing home to meet my baby girl for the first time.. !!! I had become a father at 26 and it was an experience which I can hardly describe in words..
The moment I set my eyes on the baby I simply dissolved and became one with her - the baby was stunningly beautiful, fragile and calmly sleeping. I couldn't resist but to pick her up and put her on my lap and the baby was in her own dreamy sleep.... With the baby in my lap, I waited patiently for an hour simply gazing at her and during the entire time nothing around the periphery in my vision appeared except the tiny baby! It was an amazing experience!
The next best ting that came about was her naming ceremony. My wife & my sister, supported by a gang of relatives had chosen the name 'Mansi' and I had chosen the name 'Sarovi'.... so, inevitably it was me (alone!) versus the whole 'gang'! At the naming ceremony I pronounced the name 'Sarovi'and the whole 'gang' pronounced in one voice the name 'Mansi and it doesn't take a genius to understand that my voice was drowned by that of the 'gang'(!)So the little angel was named Mansi (!) but in deference to my wish, my kindly wife entered my daughter's name as Sarovi in the official records and it remained there on paper and every one addressed the baby as Mansi. Thus Mansi was born with her official name as Sarovi!
It was an year or so later, me, my wife and Mansi travelled to Delhi to attend my friend's wedding and my wife was so impressed with the bride - Nidhi- during the marriage ceremony that soon after we returned from Delhi, my wife changed my daughter's name in the official records as Nidhi! Despite this.. Mansi remained the favorite and a popular name with every one all the time and even now!
I had chosen 'Sarovi' because that name represented the name of a calm lake, while Nidhi means treasure... In India, Mansi means the goddess of mind - Goddess Saraswathi - who represents education and knowledge.
Though she is addressed as Mansi now, but in retrospect I feel she is a combination of all the three names - a calm river, a treasure and the goddess of mind!
Though psychologically it was a very satisfying time but financially it was the most difficult time in my life... With both me and my wife working together, we could not afford to make both ends meet!
Even during this time Mansi remained a great support - We had to drop her to the baby sitter and go to work as early as 8 am in the morning. There were no complaints about my daughter from the baby sitter.. On the contrary she loved the child as her own.
Since we had literally no money, we used public transport to go around everywhere. On such day when we were returning home, my little daughter asked me whether we could travel home by a taxi.
I knew for certain that the money in my pocket would be just enough to pay for the public transport to reach home... and I was at a loss as to explain this to the little child! I cheeringly said to her... " look Mansi this vehicle (pointing at the public transport bus) is so big and the taxi is so small.. let us travel by Bus" .. I was stunned when she said.. " yes papa you are right... let's go by Bus".. that minute I turned my face away from my child to hide my tears and I have tears in my eyes even now, as I am writing this.. Such a small child.. Yet so understanding!
One of those days a child model coordinator met us and asked us whether our daughter can be used as a child model for advertisements? We said yes and from that day for the next seven years she became a successful child model for media and TV. I took much pride in that and felt rich as a father.
Except paying her initial donation when she joined her 1st standard in a reputed school in Bangalore.. We have not paid any hefty fee for her education as she managed to be a meritorious student and we had to pay the only minimum fee and all the model fee she earned put together actually took care of her education including her law school education!
She finished her law school, and remained a likable student, friend during those days. She was inclined towards humanitarian work and served as an intern in the Amnesty International and worked in the Common Wealth Human Rights Organization.
Though, she worked about 6 months in my Law Firm.. but being inclined towards human rights, presently she is working for a Global Humanitarian Organization for the last two years
When I look back, I see Mansi as a support and an inspiration. Even today she is my biggest support and and also a great admirer and a constant inspiration.
I am reminded of a Quote by Dr. James C. Dobson : "Children are not casual guests in our home. They have been loaned to us temporarily for the purpose of loving them and instilling a foundation of values on which their future lives will be built."...
But I would like add that children are angels which choose you as parents.. The angels of support, the angels to admire and the angles who admire you and inspire you .. And I have always told Mansi: "thanks Mansi for choosing us as parents"
Mansi - the angel who chose us as parents.
Experience with Mansi when she wanted to travel by auto from RBI
The experience of being with Mansi as a child model.
First shoot with Dinesh photographer. Then Sudhir ramachandran.
Days in basaveshwr nagar... Playing with my friends... Cricket
School - in basaveshwar nagar how we dropped her early I the morning.
The experience with Mansi when we went on vacation to Mysore for the first time and her singing in the bath room.
Experience with Mansi when we shifted to orchid apartment.
No comments:
Post a Comment