"Appa, Am home", Ritu shouted as she dragged her cycle inside her garden. she could hear her mom yell "first change your clothes and have lunch beta"
she ignored her mother and went directly to her dad seated on the couch watching news as usual
seeing his face only brought a huge smile to her face. " I was the best scorer in today's match Appa. I made 10 baskets out of 15 in the match and we won. tomorrow is finals and our school will definitely win the 'Inter school basketball championship' this time.
Her father beamed with pride and took her loving daughter on his lifeless legs. he was struck with polio at the age of 3 but his disability never came on his way to success and raising a family on his own.
"I am so proud of you Beta, I knew you would win.now tell me everything about the match", he said while stroking her daughters small boycut hair.
Ritu went on to describe the match, telling how she managed to take a three pointer and 4 fouls from the defending team. then at the last 5minutes she was able to score 3 baskets back to back and how her team lifted her up after the match ended.
" how can you manage so many baskets being so short and so much younger than other girls? do they pick you up for throwing balls " teased her father. Ritu laughed and replied " because I am your daughter, I am short but I haven't let this come in my way to become a basketball champion"
And it was true. everyday, Ritu woke up to see his father crawling on the floor helping her mother do the daily chores. who ever said disabled people cant do anything can now regret. he could do almost anything a normal man could do. Her mother was working too. Ritu had 2 elder brothers who were also studying.Preparing food and making all the kids ready for school and then getting ready herself for work was definitely a hefty task to do daily for a mother.
her father never complained. he used to daily wake the kids up and pack the lunch boxes and constantly pester to get ready soon.
then he used to drop her mother off to her school, where she worked as a teacher and then go to his work.
Ritu grew up seeing this man who was her inspiration and who taught her that nothing is impossible in life. A man who couldn't walk, was teased always in his young age but dared to raise a family. He did not earn too much but dared to give the best education to his 3 children. a man who could not afford luxury but never said NO to any of his children demands. a man who could not afford but still paid the school fees of his workers children. a man filled with compassion, who rarely got angry. always smiled and laughed as if there is no worry in his life. a man who no matter what tensions might be in his life, always slept with satisfaction after the days end. he planned for future but enjoyed every moment of his present.
Ritu grew up to be a strong woman like her father. she joined the Army and now serves the nation. The only regret in her life is that her father is not alive to see his favorite child's accomplishments.
This man's story is a story of optimism - optimism about life, about love, about the world and its future.
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