Missing you more today, daddy

These are moments when I really miss him.

Every birthday he would ask "emi nee age ipudu", and whatever number I gave him, he would have something to say about it, something which made the number suddenly turn positive.

daddy and me.......from the archives...moments forever

His verve and energy for life, his love for trains and planes, for birds and flowers....they never waned, not till the very end.....it was so inspiring. 

If dhruva recognized his love for cinema, and diksha her love for animals, enough to make it into their respective career paths, I wouldn't be surprised if a major factor of influence was daddy. 

He has watched and discussed movies with dhruva from the time he could take dhruva to the theatre to the time dhruva took him to the theatre. Their innumerable trips to the zoo when they were little, just the three of them are like family legend. I would be like "how can you manage both of them daddy", but he was unfazed.

The other day ( a few months back :) when diksha pointed out a star and said "that's sirius no thatha", he was like "how do you know?" and she's like "from you only no thatha".

Our gifts to each other were almost always books. Only the last few birthdays of his, my gift has been artificial flowers as he so loved filling up his study and bedroom with them. 

This one gift of his doesn't cease to touch me. 

For my wedding....somehow the jewellery and sarees and all the other wedding regalia disappears under the meaningfulness of this...... as this is what has stayed, and stares out at me from my bookshelf each day, like it did today.

I miss hearing you say "happy birthday" daddy.