Happy Father’s Day!

Happy Father’s Day!
A Short Story by G.S.Vasu Kumar

It was some years back, when Anita had dared too marry someone whom she loved against the wishes and approval of her family members. This not only severed the ties with her family, but she even had to move to another place with her husband, Irfhan Khan.

Later, when she gave birth to a daughter she had hoped against hoes that her family would at least accept her now. But she was proved wrong! It was her husband who stood by her side until he succumbed to cancer. Anita brought up her only daughter Riya since then. Recently, she had met with a major accident and had less time in her hands, now lying in the hospital bed, she made her decision. She called her only kin alive; her brother Ankur as both her parents too had passed away sometime back.

‘Brother, I don’t want to send my daughter to some orphanage,’ Anita said in tears, ‘I know what I had done in the past had offended you. But then everyone needs forgiveness to move on. Promise me, that you will take care of Riya when I go away.’ She said extending her shaky hand to him.

‘I Promise!’ Ankur said, clasping her hand with his hand.

‘Thank you, brother,’ Anita said with a smile, breathing her last breath. A drop of tear rolled down from her eye, which her little daughter of eight years wiped off, breaking down in tears.

Ankur held Riya in his arms ad tried to console her. Now, he had a bigger challenge to face in his life as he was about to get married to his long time girlfriend, Anushka. After Anita’s funeral, he met her and told her everything that had happened so far.

‘No, Ankur,’ Anushka said, after listening to him, ‘You can send her to some good boarding school and visit her once in a while. She will be fine there with other kids of her age...’

‘Anushka, I don’t want to break the promise I had made to my sister,’ Ankur said, ‘Also I don’t want to send her to the boarding school. I need to take care of her as she is now my responsibility!’

‘Didn’t you even give a thought about me while you made that promise?’

‘How does it matter now?’

‘It does matter to me! I give you two choices, one: send her to the boarding school and we can live happily together; two: If you still want to keep her then you can forget me!’

‘Come, on, Anushka!’

‘Your choice, Ankur?’

‘You know well that I can’t choose between the two,’

‘Fine, then forget me!’ She said, standing up and taking leave from that place. Ankur slumped in the sofa depressed. He loved her so much..Riya came to him, having overheard their conversation.

‘Mama, you can send me to the boarding school and I will be fine with other girls over there. Also don’t worry about the promise you made to mother. I shall speak to her and convince her. I am sure that she will agree!’ Riya said, holding on to her teddy bear in her arms.

‘No, my dear,’ He said, holding her hand, ‘I don’t want to do that! It is not about the promise or anything. I just want you to stay here with me and be a part of my life!’

‘Then what about Anushka?’

‘Well, it’s up to her to decide what she wants to do,’ He said, shrugging his shoulders, with a smile on his face, ‘I didn’t tell her to go away from me. So, if she wants to come back then she is always welcome!’

Ankur shifted Riya to his place. Ankur’s family had a maid since he and his sister were kids, her name was Rani and she was more than a maid to them. She took good care of Riya as she was very fond of her mother, Anita.

Ankur started coming home early so that he can spend some time every evening with Riya. They used to watch television together, play games. Also he used to help her with her home work. Riya loved fishes, so he brought home a beautiful aquarium with lots of colourful fishes. Riya was very happy that day and he found his happiness in hers.

Also Riya suggested him to have flower pots in the balcony, which he readily agreed. Soon there were many flower bearing pots arranged in the balcony.

Sometimes, memories of his love life came back to haunt him, but he tried his best to divert his mind to other things in his life. Right now, Riya occupied his life so much! One evening, he went to her room and found many paintings done by her. He didn’t know that she did painting, so it was a big surprise to him. He took a painting in which he held her hand and she had written ‘Riya and her new dad!’ on the painting. He kept staring at it, when Rani entered the room.

‘You’ve become her father,’ Rani said, ‘You have just proved that you don’t have to give birth to a child to be its father. She is really lucky to have you in her life!’

‘I know!’ He said, turning and looking at her with a smile on his face.
Next evening, Ankur told Riya that he had taken two weeks vacation.

‘Let’s go somewhere!’ He said, smiling, ‘Do you have any particular place in your mind?’

‘Mama, I haven’t seen Ooty so far in my life. My mother used to tell me that this place is really mesmerizing. Also I had seen this place in movies and it is breath taking! Shall we go to this place?’

‘Alright, then,’ He said, still smiling, ‘Pack your bags! We are going for Ooty!’

‘Shall we take Ranima along with us?’

‘I don’t have any problem if she wants to joins us,’ Ankur said, looking at her.

‘Please come with us…Ranima...’ Riya requested her.

‘Alright, I will come!’ She replied, ‘Even I haven’t seen this place!’

‘And here is your birthday gift, Riya!’ He said, giving her the gift, ‘Many, many happy returns of the day!’

‘Oh, thank you, Mama, I thought you didn’t know that today is my birthday?’ She said smiling and receiving the gift, ‘Shall I open it and see?’

‘Sure, go ahead!’ He said, smiling.

She opened the gift wrapper and it was a lovely camera.

‘Thank you, so much!’ She said, hugging him, ‘Shall I call you dad?’ She asked.

‘Yes, my dear, you can call me so!’ He said, hugging her.

Just then the door bell started to ring. Rani went and opened the door. Riya’s classmates marched in with the cake, candles, balloons and other snacks.

‘Wow! Who told you guys that it’s my birthday today?’ She asked them.

‘He did!’ They said together, pointing their fingers at Ankur.

Later, Ankur booked the train tickets to Coimbatore and then tickets for the Toy train from Mettupalayam to Ooty. Also he came to know that the annual flower show was coming that week as well. It brought a smile on his face. It would be another surprise to Riya who loved flowers so much! Finally that moment came, they all traveled to Ooty. They stayed in a nice hotel room, went out to see places, including the botanical garden where the grand flower show was going on. Riya started clicking snaps of the flowers. Ankur was shocked and surprised to see Anushka over there clicking some pictures of the flowers with her camera. He approached her, then :-

‘It’s a pleasant surprise to see you here!’ He said, smiling at her warmly.

‘Well, you know that I love nature and flowers,’ She said, smiling back at him.

‘Why don’t you join us for lunch after the flower show?’ Ankur invited her.

‘Sure, if you guys have no problem with me joining,’ She replied.

‘Not at all!’ He said, shrugging his shoulders.

Later, they all had their lunch together. It was then Ankur came to know that Rani had informed Anushka about their trip to Ooty. Also she had told her that Ankur was missing her badly and needed her in his life.Ankur looked at Rani who pretended to be busy enjoying her ice cream.

‘Ankur, I’m really sorry for walking out the other day,’ Anushka said, holding his hand and pressing it gently, ‘Please forgive me!’

‘That’s okay…I have already forgotten about it!’ He said, smiling and keeping his other hand on hers.

‘I would like to come back into you life!’ She said, looking into his eyes.

‘Sure, what about Riya?’ He asked her.

‘I would be her mother. I hope that post is still vacant?’ Anushka said, looking at them with a smile on her face.

‘Yes!’ Riya said, smiling, ‘And I hereby appoint you as my new mother!’ She added, breaking into giggles, joined by Rani.

After spending time in Ooty, they all returned back to their place. In the following week, Ankur and Anushka got married. One day :-

‘Dad, I would like to have a younger brother or sister in my life so that I could play with.’ Riya came and told him.

‘Are you sure about it, Riya?’ He asked looking at Anushka and making a gesture asking her whether she had told her that. She gestured back saying, No.

‘Yes, dad!’ She said.

Nine months later, they both were blessed with a boy baby. Riya took care of her younger brother like a mother would take care of her baby. Many months passed by, then one night, Ankur woke to find the bed empty. He got up and went to the dinning hall. There he found a nice cake, on which was written;

Happy Father’s Day!

Riya smiled at him and handed him a knife to cut the cake. He smiled, blew the candle, and cut the cake. Everyone started clapping their hands, including the little Aman.

Riya kept the first piece of cake in her father’s mouth and said;

‘Happy Father’s Day, dad!’

‘Thank you, my dear,’ He said, hugging her.

Anushka clicked some pictures. While Aman and Rani kept clapping their hands happily.