Daughters To Be Proud Of

I was waiting for my son to come and pick me up from the jogger's park when I spied a man selling whole corn roasted over a coal burner. It was drizzling slightly, and a masala, lime, and rocksalt embellished corn were too welcoming for me to resist. So I submitted to my temptation and sank my teeth into one. A young girl was standing there with her father. She was apparently asking him to buy her a butta as they call it in Mumbai. Her father after some admonishment gave in to his daughter’s demands and bought her roasted corn.

While we were eating, a casual conversation revealed that the girl had just appeared for her tenth examinations and was awaiting her results which would be announced any day.

“I have two daughters, Tai,” the man said. “I drive the auto rickshaw. My wife tailors clothes for a living. We struggle to make both ends meet. I don’t want my daughters to face this sort of tough situation ever. So even if I have to work day and night, I do it, just to see that they get proper education and secure a good job to be independent and sustain themselves. My elder daughter has finished her B.Com. She wanted to do MBA after that. But since she knows that I will not be able to afford the high fees required for that, she has enrolled for a part time course in Management and had taken up a job to pay for her further studies.”

I was impressed. Looking at his second daughter, I asked, “What stream are you intending to pursue?”

“Commerce,” she replied confidently. “And then Chartered Accountancy.”

“But now the cut off rates are so high for Commerce, Do you know, they are higher for Commerce this year than Science?” I said.

“So what Ma’am?” she asked. “I have done my exams well and am confident of getting 95% plus.”

I was amazed at her confidence.

“Well, well!” I exclaimed. “Anyway, I wish you all the best. I would like to know about your results when they are announced.”

“Why not?” she replied. “Here is my father’s number. You can ring up and find out. Or better still, you can give me your number and I will inform myself.”

I was totally impressed by this young girl and gave her my number.

By then my son arrived and we went on our respective ways.

A week later, I had completely forgotten about this incident and was out on an assignment, when my cell buzzed. To my surprise, when I connected, it was this same girl.

“Ma’am, I am Vinita. We met outside the Joggers Park at the butta stall. I am so happy to inform you that my results are out just now, and I have secured 97.5%.”

“Wonderful news, Vinita, “ I said. “Congratulations to you and your dad.”

I was really happy to hear about Vinita’s results. More happy actually for her father who dreamt of a bright future for his daughters, instead of just getting them married off, like many in his position would have done. Kudos to the man and his wife.