The father grows old while raising a child to youth. He wears poor clothes but provides for fine clothes. While working for his child’s success, he doesn’t tire even when he is weak or sick. He doesn’t expect anything from his children, only wishes for their success. He searches for the best institutions for the best education of his children. He can go to any extent to do what is expected of him. This is the common feature of every father on the surface of this earth.
Every father has his own mentality and way of thinking, according to which he guides his children and prepares them for the future. I have seen some fathers who set their children in a trial; the purpose is never to frustrate them, but to make them grow stronger. They want to make them so strong that no wind and storm may be able to uproot or harm them. There are some parents who love their children to the extent that if a child cries and demands for a cigarette, they can’t see them crying and they put a cigarette in their mouth. These days, a majority of kids can be seen holding smartphones in their hands. Don’t their parents know how hazardous this smartphone is for their wards? Yes, they know it, but it is the love of the father that doesn’t allow him to see his child crying. My point here is that there may be differences in the way of caring and loving on part of fathers, but their heart is only filled with love for their children.
The hero of my life is none other than my Abu. I remember the days when I was yet to begin my studies. He was so worried about my schooling that he admitted me to one of the best schools of the valley even though he wasn’t able to afford the fees. He didn’t compromise with my future; he worked night and day to ensure my education was the best he could provide. I know how much hardship and struggle he faced during those years. Almost every time he used to take debts from others. These debts he never took for his own comforts or needs but only to make my life comfortable and better.
I remember him wearing the same dress for four years. During those four years I got almost thirty-thousand rupees for new clothes. I also remember in 2013 when we had an income of Rs 50,000 from apple orchards and all this money was spent on buying for me a laptop and printer. Today when I am almost 26 years and my Abu is quite old, suffering from diabetes and blood pressure, his body so weak that he can’t work even for an hour, he still works all day and never complains about his health and weakness.
Recently I secured admission in a university where the fees are too high. My Abu became emotional when he heard the news of my admission. He hugged me and promised me to help me until his last breath. He still works hard in the fields in hot summer. This is not the character of my father alone, but of every father. I often sleep while thinking what can I give back to Abu. When will he reap the benefit of what he has invested? Leave alone the profit, can he get back even the principal! The answer is, No. Even if a son sacrifices his life for his father, he cannot repay even an iota of the debt he owes to his father.
Dear friends and readers, please don’t be rude to your fathers, they are the real superheroes. They are the most sincere people on whom you can always depend, and who have your real interest at heart. They can’t be fake like others; a friend can befool you, so can a relative, but your father is the man who burns himself like a candle to make you visible. He is the man to be respected the most. He is the noblest among nobles. Let’s promise that we shall treat them well. They are heroes and we must treat them as such.

The writer is a research scholar at BGSBU Rajouri. [email protected]

Zahid Ahmad Naik