Never Losing Companion- Hope

In India, it is common for parents worrying about their children's future and taking major steps to solve them. It is an everyday thing, right?. Then what makes India special. India has its origin from a very old time. And from these origins comes the culture, traditions, customs, etc. And based on these forms has been written the life story of a young girl Swati.

Swati is a very young and beautiful girl. She lives with her parents in India. Her parents are middle class and love Swati very much.

Swati since her childhood was a very bright child. She loved to study, dance, sing and do art. But her favorite time was when she wrote poetry. It was like she was gifted with all the talents but her immense passion for poetry kept all her other talents aside. Whenever she would get time, she would sit in her room and write poems and poems. She had a way with the words of her poetry, it was filled with love and many other emotions.

Her parents knew of this talent and fully supported her and even encouraged her to participate in different competitions. With time, she grew. And grew her extreme passion for poetry. She had a huge collection of a diary filled with different poems stacked in her closet. Every day she would come back from school and recite her poetry to her parents that she wrote on the exact day. Her parent's eyes used to get filled with tears of happiness and pride. She was a gift of god to them. How couldn't they cherish her?

Time was slowly moving on. With that, Swati and her family's life was also moving with love and happiness. It was like any other day when Swati reached her home, filled with excitement to read the lines of her poem in front of her parents. But what she didn't expect was a surprise waiting for her inside the house. When she first stepped, her eyes fell upon a man who was sitting on her couch sipping her mother made hot tea. She didn't recognize the stranger.

Suddenly, her mother holds catch of her sight and said, " Oh Swati, you have come. Come meet your uncle."

Swati was surprised for a moment because she had never heard in the last 16 years of her life that she even had an uncle. Her parents had never mentioned of any distant brother or sister and her parents were a single child. So she was lost and confused.

her father clearly understood the expression on her face, and said," dear child, you don't know him, because he has come to meet us after 20 years of no contact. He is like a brother to me but we are not related. We knew each other so long because both of our family were mutual friends and that's how we both grew up as friends cum brothers.", saying that her father patted the back of his friend in a loving manner.

Swati came out of her trance and went near her father's friend and touched his feet. He blessed her with a long life. After that, she went back to her room when they again resumed their talking.

After some time, she came back down to eat her dinner. She found that same man from earlier sitting at their dining table and chatting away happily with her parents. She wished them and helped her mother in arranging the dishes on the table, then took her designated seat. After completing their meal they retired to the living room.

A while later, Vinod (Swati's father's friend and brother) asked Swati.

He asked," Swati, you are going to appear for your 12th board this year right?".

Swati nodded her head in yes. Then Vinod asked again, " what are your plans after the exams?. I mean what stream you want to choose?."

Swati replied in a very confident voice that she wants to become a poet. So, she's going to find ways to make it possible. Hearing this, Vinod scrunched his nose in distaste and said," poet, why a poet?".

Swati didn't like the way he judged her by reading his expressions but anyhow she replied politely," Yes sir, I want to become a poet because it is my passion and I love to write poems." And added excitedly, "if you want, I can show you and even recite a poem too."

to this, her father said, "yes Vinod, she is extremely talented and have a long list of poems collected in book forms in her closet."

but Vinod had completely zoned out from their conversations. So when Arun( Swati's father) called out to him, he replied, "wh...what you are telling?."

Arun again replied his message but Vinod said hesitantly, "arr....i'm sorry. I actually have to go. I have office tomorrow and I don't want to get late for that."

Swati felt disappointed that she can't recite her favorite poem in front of her uncle.

Vinod said his goodbyes and took his leave but Swati was still standing in the same sad posture.

Her father came near her and said," don't get sad my child. Today I will listen to your poems before bedtime." To this Swati cheered happily and retreated back to her room.

Time flew by and soon came the results of Swati's 12th board. She was nervous as well as excited to receive her results. She filled all the required details and clicked on the page where she could view her results. Soon, a green wall containing her results appeared but as soon as it appeared it disappeared too. How?. Swati herself closed because she broke down after what she saw on the computer. She had secured only 60% in total combining all subjects.

Her parents came rushing to her room, worried that why she made such a loud sound. What they saw, broke their heart. Swati was kneeling by her bedpost and had covered her face with both her palms to stop the muffled sound of sobs coming from her.

Her mother immediately took her in her embrace and consoled her but she didn't stop crying. Soon her father joined and both mother and father hugged her from two sides. A little while later, her sobs died down and she tried to control herself from breaking down again.

Her father asked, "what happened?. Why were you crying?."

Swati composed herself and said," Daddy, I'm sorry. I worked really hard but I couldn't fulfill your expectations and dreams. I....i...i secured only 60% in the boards."

Saying this she looked at her parents to check their reactions. Her mother had somewhat a little confusion on her but her father had the expression of fierce anger.

suddenly, her father got up from the bed in anger and shouted in a very dangerous manner," what the hell!! What is this Swati? Are you playing pranks on me? Because if it is, then it's at all not funny."

Swati got afraid looking at a new side of her father and also felt hurt that her father, who never shouted at her, for the first time was shouting on her face.

She replied afraid, "no...im not playing any pranks daddy. As this is true." saying that she broke down again.

This time her father marched from the room in anger without replying back to her. Swati looked at her mother but her mother embraced her and said that" everything will be alright my child."

Days went by and the relationship between the father and daughter became more bitter.

Swati tried many times to talk to her father but her father paid no heed to her. This hurt Swati a lot, as their bond had changed from loving to bitterness. Her mother also felt broken after seeing the scenario of the duo.

One day Arun visited the nearby grocery shop to buy groceries for the house. There he stumbled upon Vinod. His crestfallen face got uplifted after seeing his long-time best friend after a long time. They hugged each other affectionately and Arun said,

"Wow. What a pleasant surprise. I'm so happy that I got to meet you here."

to this Vinod replied," Yes. It is indeed pleasant to meet you."

But somehow Vinod detected a slight sadness in Arun's voice. He asked Arun if something has happened.

To this question, Arun's face again went back to the same angry position.

He said," Swati has disappointed me. She secured so low in 12th board. I can't believe it. I had so many high expectations from her. But now she had destroyed all my dreams that I once saw for her."

To this, Vinod laughed and Arun looked at him in a confused expression and asked, "why are you laughing Vinod?. Here I'm talking about my problem and you are laughing."

Vinod managed her laugh and said," because you are talking funny, that's why I laughed."

Arun still didn't understand why he was laughing because he really didn't crack any joke. Or did he?.

Vinod decided to stop this confusing torture and answered to his question that," I was exactly in the same position where were you now. My daughter also didn't secure well and I was upset over her. I didn't even talk to her for a while. But when I saw that even after that she didn't give up on her dream of dancing. I realized my mistake, that she has her own dreams and life. She has a passion for dancing. She studied hard for the exams but still didn't secured as she expected, because her whole life she only dreamt of becoming a dancer and not any doctor or engineer. But I expected the opposite of it. I didn't like dancing because she couldn't have survived by dancing. It doesn't earn anything. But boy I was wrong. I didn't understand that not every work on this planet earns money. Money is not everything. But taking away someone's passion from them is like killing them forever. So I decided to take a risk and help her in her dream. And you know what? she has made me proud. She is now a well-known choreographer in Bollywood and has her own team. She even earns well. That's why I laughed because you are making the same mistake that I made once."

After hearing to Vinod Arun's heart changed, he realized how much big mistake he was doing. How much pain he had given to his daughter but now he decided to make it all better.

He embraced Vinod and thanked him for making him realize his mistake. After doing his shopping he returned home.

He called Swati in a very grave voice. Swati came down the stairs getting very scared. Arun noticed this and felt hurt that how much his little doll got broken. But he maintained his posture and told Swati to sit down in the opposite couch of him.

He said, "I know how I reacted that day, but I was very upset that you didn't focus well in your studies."

Swati didn't understand where this was going and thought maybe her father will give her another scolding. But suddenly Arun tackled his daughter in a very fatherly hug and said,'" I'm sorry my child. I hurt you a lot. I didn't understand that you loved poetry but still you love your parents so much that you gave up on that and focused on your studies to make us proud. It's not your mistake if you secured less than you expected. What makes me proud is that you still worked hard even when you are poor at what you chose. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry my child. From now on I'm going to support you in your dream of becoming a poet."

Swati was shocked at her father's reply but soon embraced her father tightly and said," thank you so much dad and I'm sorry too for not fulfilling your expectations. But I promise you that I will work hard to become a poet and I will make you and mother proud. I promise."

Both looked at each other with tears in their eyes and again embraced happily. At one corner of the house, a woman looked at the duo with her own tears and happiness.

3 Years later, Swati was standing with her parents on a very big platform, holding her first book and smiling at the camera. This shows that when people think that nothing is left to hold onto then a girl like Swati becomes an inspiration for many. In her most critical time when she needed her father, her father was not there. But she didn't lose hope and never gave up on her father as well on her dream. Hope is a key that will stick with you even when you are entering heaven. So never lose hope, as this will be your long life companion till the end.