Happy birthday Daddy!
As Alison
Lohman expresses it so beautifully, “There will always be a few people who have
the courage to love what is untamed inside us. One of those men was my father.”
Mr. Dalal in
the corporate world.. Sir to so many.. Narendrabhai to friends.. Nanakaka to
family.. but simply.. Daddy to me.. You would have been 94 today.. and
honestly.. seeing your health towards the end, today I am grateful to God for
taking you into His fold gently when he did!
Always a
high achiever and academically very bright, he ensured that attention to
learning was a top priority and created opportunities wherever they were to be
found! I have vivid childhood memories of being taken to little wayside cafes
and modest Udipi restaurants.. being presented with the menu and a sheet of
paper and pencil and being told to READ the menu properly, CORRECT all the mistakes
and sit down quietly once I finished until he had time to check it!
Being a
parent was something he took very seriously and although I was his princess, no
laxity in discipline was ever tolerated.. witness that EVERY Saturday morning
there was room.. cupboard and writing table inspection.. If everything wasn’t
spotless and immaculate.. no scolding.. just a gentle admonishment.. and.. NO
pocket money for the week!
Daddy loved driving
and travelling by road so very often, my brother and I would wake up tousle headed
and rubbing our eyes to find ourselves in the car and off to a new adventure
somewhere! It was usually Poona.. Lonavala.. Khandala.. Mahabaleshwar.. we’d go
early morning and return at night or sometimes after a few days! He would sing
popular Gujarati English and Bengali songs and Mummy, Sunil and I would
enthusiastically join in for the chorus! Later on, travelling was a huge learning
opportunity and he taught me how to check a hotel room and bathroom for hygiene
and neatness.. AND how to negotiate for a good price!
He believed
that children should grow up and be able to adapt adjust and manage with
anything, everything and nothing! Thanks to this intensely practical (??)
principle, I was taken to and made to stay in the entire gamut of accommodation
available to the public in those times! It ranged from dharamshalas with smelly
mattresses to nicely maintained circuit houses.. from basic wooden huts to
fancy hotels with ensuite bathrooms.. No complaints were listened to or entertained.. we just had to "put up.. shut up.. and learn to deal with it!!" And we DID..
He was a
flamboyant foodie so I grew up eating Jain food.. Surti food.. American
cheeseburgers.. tuna fish sandwiches.. all kinds of chaat.. chilled Gazpacho
soup.. hot French Onion soup.. American Chop Suey.. with detailed explanations
to me on HOW they were to be made in order to be perfect! In hindsight (which
is invariably 20/20) I genuinely feel “my
poor mother”! Another strict rule was that either he or Mummy would serve us
and we couldn’t leave the table unless we had finished everything on our
plates!
He was a
hardworking man who nonetheless was very clued in and part of my life.. he used
to leave the office at 5:30 sharp every evening (come what may) and once when
his boss said, “Mr. Dalal you’re going home already? It’s only 5:30 pm and
there’s a lot of work to do.” To which he replied, “Work is a 4 letter word and
on their deathbeds, no one ever wishes they had spent more time in the office!
I come in at 9:30 everyday and I leave at 5:30 because now it’s my time with my
wife and children!” Hats off to the man!
He taught me
to work hard.. play harder.. spend wisely.. save even more wisely.. to value
good people.. treat people with respect.. to try and lead by example.. and try to be a GOOD human being.. I
could go on and on, but will just say it is a privilege and a joy to be born as
his daughter.. and will always try and live up to the legacy of justice
kindness impartiality and sincerity that is his legacy to me!
I love you
Daddy.. so very much!
My Daddy
bestest!!
