Bad Habits

I was sixteen when I got admission in a degree college far from my home. My room partner in hostel was also from my state. He was a very good person except that he had two bad habit. One is he drank alcohol every Saturday and Sunday and second he was a chain smoker.

I was a teetotaller and never smoked before. He asked me many times but I refused every time. I didn’t mind him smoking or drinking in the room as otherwise he was a very helpful and had become my best friend.

After about out six months, we were celebrating the birthday of a friend when he offered me a cigarette. When he insisted two three times, I out of curiosity took 1-2 puffs. This continued in next 2-3 parties and with in no time I also became a chain smoker like him.

This continued for whole college life. After completing my degree I came back to my hometown. Initially my parents didn’t know about this but with time they accepted this. However my father always asked me to leave this bad habit.

with in two years I got married. My wife didn’t like this habit at all. Sometimes we had a quarrel over smoking. I tried to leave this habit but after few days it got started again . Then she stopped saying anything.

After a year we had a very lovely daughter. She generally sleeps with her mother. One day when she was 4 years old she had to sleep with me for some reason. As she had gone to sleep I lit a cigarette and suddenly she woke up coughing. She hugged me and asked me politely ” papa, can you leave this habit”.

l was stunned and from that day till today I didn’t touch the cigarette and this year she also has joined degree college.