To daughter, with love

‘Mere ghar aayi ek nanhi pari, chandni ke hasin rath pe sawar....’ These are lines written by the famous poet of Bollywood, Gulzar. The expression of a father’s love for his daughter, so beautifully translated into poetry! For every father his daughter is special, whether demonstrated or not, love runs deeply, nurturing the bond for an entire lifetime! On the daughter’s part, her father is her first hero, she looks up to him for advice and guidance at every step in her life.

Who can forget the legendry father-daughter duo, our late Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, affectionately called Priyadarshini. His letters to his daughter have been published into books. He once wrote to her from prison, ‘We are making history, and you and I are fortunate to see this happen before our eyes. We have India’s honour in our keeping. Many times, it is no easy matter to decide what is right and what is not.

Be brave and all the rest follows....” Such words of wisdom surely went a long way in carving the destiny of this daughter. There is no hint of sermonising and yet the words have played their impact on a young mind so beautifully. Late Pt Ravi Shankar and his daughter Anoushka shared a beautiful bond sealed with music, expressed in their famous 'jugalbandi'. Former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma and his daughter, Agatha Sangma have a lot in common besides their political interests. The famous poet and lyricist Gulzar has dedicated most of his poetry books to his daughter Bosky.

A city- based Psychologist, says, “A father has this soft, protective instinct towards his daughter. He is sensitive towards her little needs and appreciates her feminine instincts too! Many times, a father sees a miniature form of his wife in her too...a form which he has never seen but wants to witness! A father also regards himself as the main provider for his daughter. A matured father also knows how to withdraw a little, once his daughter is married.

There are many instances where a son might feel himself getting lesser attention than his sister from the father! The only reason for this is that a father can be less demonstrative towards his son when it comes to expressing affection. Well this is just a law of nature!” The beautiful Hollywood film ‘Father of the bride’ expresses the dilemma of a father after his daughter’s marriage. It is a sensitive portrayal of how the father must withdraw gradually but loves the daughter just the same.

Sushanth Rao, a school teacher says “I have two daughters and they are my little angels! I love to read and play with them. I feel that boys are too rowdy for my liking! I prefer daughters. When I come back from work, just chatting with them helps me relax. Both my wife Leena and I encourage them in whatever possible way that we can. I also feel we have so much to learn from them...their finer qualities, their innocence, soft approach towards various issues and their logic teaches us many lessons of life.”

Daughters have a very calming effect over a family. Their grace and softness becomes a valuable part of life, enriching the family as a unit, rendering it beautiful, born out of wonder and delight, to be cherished for a lifetime! They touch our lives in their special way! Well, Yes, daughters are very special….in every way!

By: Shaili Dhagat