Love, Touch and Inspire

My wife called, 'How long will you be with that newspaper? Will youcom here and make your darling daughter eat her food?I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene. My only daughter Sindulooked frightened; tears were welling up in her eyes. In front of herwas abowl filled to its brim with curd rice. Sindu is a nice child, quiteintelligent for her age.I cleared my throat, and picked up the bowl. 'Sindu, darling, why don'tyou take a few mouthful of this curd rice? Just for Dad's sake, dear.Sindu softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of her hands.'Ok,Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot of this.But,you should...' Sindu hesitated. 'Dad, if I eat this entire curdRice,will you give me whatever I ask for?''Promise'. I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter withmine,and clinched the deal. Now I became a bit anxious. 'Sindu dear, youshouldn't insist on getting a computer or any such expensive items. Daddoes not have that kind of money right now. Ok?''No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive'. Slowly and painfully, shefinished eating the whole quantity.I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child toeat something that she detested.After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes wide withexpectation. All our attention was on her.'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved off?Impossible!' 'Never in our family!' My mother rasped. 'She has beenwatching too much of television. Our culture is getting totally spoiledwith these TV programs!''Sindu darling, why don't you ask for something else? We will be sadseeing you with a clean-shaven head.''Please, Sindu, why don't you try to understand our feelings?' I triedto plead with her.'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice'. Sinduwas in tears. 'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for. Now, youare going back on your words. Was it not you who told me the story of KingHarishchandra, and its moral that we should honor our promises no matterwhat?'It was time for me to call the shots. 'Our promise must be kept.''Are you out your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor herown. Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.'With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and her eyes lookedbig and beautiful.On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a sight to watchmy hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom. She turned around andwaved. I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy alighted from a car, andshouted,'Sinduja, please wait for me!' What struck me was the hairless headof that boy. 'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought.'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!' Without introducingherself, a lady got out of the car, and continued,' that boy who is walkingalong with your daughter is my son Harish. He is suffering from...leukemia.' She paused to muffle her sobs. Harish could not attend theschool for the whole of the last month. He lost all his hair due to theside effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to come back to school fearingthe unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates. 'Sinduja visitedhim last week,and promised him that she will take care of the teasingissue. But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for thesake of my son!Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soulas your daughter.'I stood transfixed and then, I wept. 'My little Angel, you are teachingme how self-less real love is!

'The happiest people on this planet are not those who live on their ownterms but are those who change their terms for the ones whom they love.

Love, Touch and Inspire others.Have a wonderful life Ahead...!!