My parents were not only highly intelligent and intellectual but they were also truly liberated souls - liberated form orthodox, dogma and prejudice.
We three brothers were the most fortunate to have them.
My father started his career as a lawyer at Patna High Court. We lived in Kadam Kuan in a nice house with a beautiful backyard.
I along with my darling brother Shekhar used to go to an upscale elementary school.
My youngest and dearest Deep was just born.
I was extremely protective about my brothers & would love to take any trouble for them.
But our home at Patna was always flooded with guests and most of them were quite noisy and interfering.
So my father decided to move to a new city.
I was not happy to leave my place of birth and a city I loved.
A new city with no friends!
I was home schooled during the transit by my mother.
My father who was a great sportsman and played soccer ⚽️ , hockey 🏒 and volleyball 🏐 at high level had recently picked up a new sport -cricket 🏏 and started playing a better game than many who played it for years.
I was expected to be admitted to a school.
I was nine, Shekhar was 6 and Deep a cute 3 years old.
My father sometimes took us to the cricket ground which was part of the only college in the city and besides the college there was a government high school.
My mother was asking my father to take me to the school for admission.
And the D day came but my father had a cricket match .
He was a medium fast bowler and a middle order batsman and it was an important match.
While leaving for the match he instructed me to take money from my mother, walk to the school and meet the principal seeking admission in class 6.
I followed the instructions and reached the school by myself and knocked the door of the principal’s office, “May I come in Sir?”
A stern voice greeted me “Come in”
I opened the door and walked to the principal who was wearing a tough look. He was known for his British style demeanor and would prefer to speak in English.
He asked “What brings you here?”
I replied “Sir , I have come here to take admission in your school”
He retorted “Where is your father?”
I replied “ Sir he is playing cricket in the college ground.”
The principal was not willing to take me seriously and asked me to come with my father the next day.
I was not willing to nudge and told him “ Sir I have been taught by my mother and am fully prepared.
I have a pen to write the admission test and money in my pocket to pay the fee.”
He noticed my determination and called a teacher to take my test.
I wrote the test .
But my mother had prepared me so well that the teacher decided to admit me into class 7.
Delighted I returned home 🏡 to inform my parents.
That was the greatest lesson of Independence my parents could have given me at age of 9.
The beauty of their upbringing was that they never lectured or sermoned rather shared a perspective
I never looked back.
The freedom given to me at a tender age to make my own decisions gradually transformed me into a bold and fiercely independent person.
Hats off to my parents.
I owe it to you, my Mom and Dad!