1052. And that is Love ......!

His daughter was the apple of his eye she was in 7^th standard. She was intelligent but made a ruckus to eat food. Her mother was fed up feeding her. As soon as Sanjeev came home it was his duty to make the little kid eat her dinner. Sanjeev had to use all his academic as well as analytical knowledge to see that his daughter is through with her dinner. 

    

Today was no different as he came out of the rest room he heard his wife shouting from kitchen, “Will you come here and make your darling daughter eat her food fast?”

The little girl was sitting at the dining table, her eyes welled up with tears. It was not so favourite dish in her plate. Sanjeev cleared his throat picked up the plate and said, “Chinnu putta, why don’t you take a morsel in my name and toss it into your mouth?”  He could sense his wife’s scowl from behind. Sanjeev’s words softened the little kid a bit. She wiped the tears and said, “Ok, Appa, I will eat, will you give me whatever I ask for?”

There is a saying in Kannada, “Beeso Donne Tappisi Kondare Saavira Varusha Aayassu” (If you escape from the stick being waved at you, you will live a thousand years). It is to indicate that sometimes situation so demands that escaping from a current problem is most important and a feeling that everything else can be handled if this single issue is resolved. Hence our hero agrees to the demand of his daughter.

Slowly and painfully the little kid finished the dinner. After the ordeal was over, she came up to her father and said, “Appa, I want you to take me to the parlour this Sunday and have my head shaved off.”

Sanjeev and his wife could not believe what they heard. “Have you gone mad” shouted her mother.

“Why don’t you ask for something else? You look odd without hair on you head” said Sanjeev.

“This is all due to your lenience and that idiot box; she is trying to ape that stylish bald singer.” yelled her mother.

“No, Appa I do not want anything else. And you have made a promise. Now if you go back on your words then the story you told me about Raja Sanjeevchandra has no meaning.”

This was the googly Sanjeev was not expecting.

“I will keep up my promise and would not demean the great King your wish will be fulfilled,” he told.

The coming Sunday the kid had her head shaved. With her head clean-shaven to go with a round-face and beautiful eyes she looked even more charming.

The next morning Sanjeev dropped her at her school. He was feeling very unease watching his hairless child walking in the school. She turned around and waved at him with a beaming smile.  He waved back; just then a boy alighted from a car and called out her name.

He too had hairless head.

“What’s happening” Sanjeev wondered.

“Sir, your daughter has a big heart indeed; the boy you see with your daughter is my son. He is fighting Leukemia last month he had undergone chemotherapy as a result he lost all his hair. He was reluctant to attended classes fearing that he will be teased. Your daughter said she will take care of the teasing matter. But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son! Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble child as your daughter” said a lady who did not introduce herself.

Sanjeev did not know what to say tears started dripping on his cheeks. “Chinnu Putta, will you grant me a boon? Should there be another birth for me, will you be my mother, and teach me what Love is........!!!?” he said to himself in a low voice.