Piku Pa and Love

Piku was in grade 7 when her dad had sent her to boarding school. Piku's mom had expired when she was just four years old and Mr.Sen felt it will be wise to send Piku to a boarding school since his job demanded frequent transfer of locations.

A major part of her adolescent days Piku was away from her family until she completed her education in Architecture and returned to stay back at Delhi with her retired Dad.

Piku had some fond memories of her mom from her childhood and she missed her mother dearly. Piku didn't have a close bonding with her dad though she was dutiful towards her father hence decided to shift to Delhi to take care of him. Mr.Sen though was fit, with time some age-related issues had developed, constipation being a major concern for him. His views had gone more eccentric and dogmatic in these years and though being so opiniated was enough to bring the gap in their relation, the fact that Mr.Sen would direct all reasons for his behavior, actions to his bowel movements irked Piku a lot. The vacuum of a maternal love was further established due to the lack of bonding with her father.

It was Mr.Sens's birthday coming next month, the 70th birthday, and his relatives wanted to celebrate at their ancestral home in Kolkata. Piku was an independent girl and was working as an Architect. She decided to travel through Road to Kolkata owing to her Dad's constipation issues. She spoke to the travel agency and made the necessary arrangements.

It wasn't an easy lifestyle for his dad and Piku had observed it very closely in this one month of staying together in Delhi. She had heard her maid saying Mr.Sen doesn't attend any get together or parties or even events owing to his irregular bowel movements. The one month Piku was with her dad, she realized her father apart from being a very authoritative figure always disliked being dependent on anyone, he would handle his timely medicines and always keep himself agile, even after retirement he would still work from home doing odd writing jobs, maybe the vacuum of her mom would bite his dad too, Piku felt and for the first time she had love and tears in her eyes for her dad.

Piku took a manual commode along with her as they brought all the luggage to the car.It was after many years Mr.Sen would be traveling so far, like an inquisitive child he hung his half hand in the window experiencing the breeze and beauty of the outer world. Piku gazed at her dad and wished she had tried bonding with her dad, he was as lonely as deep inside as much she is. Soon Mr.Sen asked the driver to halt and get the commode unloaded. He took it to a roadside veiled area as Piku sat at a kerb. With a disappointed look, Mr.Sen returned he felt ashamed for this was the third time in their 2 hr journey. Piku smiled at her dad and holding hands went back to car.They reminisced the beautiful childhood memories with her mom in Kolkata. Next day they reached Kolkata.It was late night, after having dinner they went asleep.

The morning sunrise woke Piku early only to realize her dad had gone cycling and that too alone. Piku got worried for her old age dad and rushed towards the gate only to find his dad returning.She sighed a relief before scolding him for his immature behavior.

As they completed their breakfast, Piku went to the room where she, her dad and mom would stay.The room was same, same interiors, the wardrobe still had her moms sarees and she found a medical file.As she read she found her dad's medical file , it was an old report which showed her dad had gone a liver transplant.She was shocked to see this and immediately went to.her Uncle with the files to find out.

Aditya Uncle was brother to Piku's mom. He explained Piku, Mr.Sen was in the forties when he had severe liver damage and the only option was a transplant, he didn't want you to get worried or anxious so he never disclosed to you but due to this foreign organ doctors have to prescribe medicines to lower the immune system of your dad's body else they will attack the liver. Due to all these medications and its side effect your dad is suffering silently all alone from constipation for so many years.

Piku was shattered, she ran to her dad, she couldn't express, just hugged him and said "Ami Tomake bhalobasi, Pa" ( I love you , Pa) always just couldn't express" and they exchanged tears with laughter.