My First Date

I still remember the first date I ever went on in my life. Usually
first dates are memorable to everyone but for me it was something
that I can never forget. I went out for my first date with my high
school crush when I was in class eleven. It was a day that I planned
for weeks and finally she, Rachna, agreed to come out with me,
Prasun Roy! In school who was famous for being a person with a cool
attitude with no constraints from the family end, whose parents were
more of buddies than dominating guardians! However the fact remained
that I too was from a middle class family with core values and
principles like all others.

Back home I lied to my parents that I was going out for a school
excursion and managed to get the approval of my parents and finally
the day arrived.

After a short lunch at a funky restaurant, Rachna and I went hand in
hand for a movie. As the evening was drawing to a close we were
roaming in the streets of "New Market" talking to each other, about
each other. Life suddenly seemed so beautiful.

All of a sudden, out of the forgotten multitude that was also
walking in the same street, I could see a familiar face quite
distinct- why I didn't know. As realization embraced my
consciousness, I comprehended that the face of the person
approaching me from the other side was of none other than but my
FATHER!

Within a fraction of a second all romanticism vanished from my heart
and a fear engrossed it instead. I could interpret in that short
time the amount of humility and shame I would face suddenly as my
father would recognize me, scold me after we meet, and that was
inevitable! Apart from the scorn that I would face at home, I could
also feel the embarrassment I would face in front of Rachna, who
recognized as the cool guy ... in school as well as back home!

Crippled with the fear I only prayed that the earth would open up
and I would hide there from all the humility. However there seemed
no practical escape from it. Then some thing happened.

My father came near me, along with the now not-so-forgotten
multitude, looked into my eyes as a stranger and passed by me
rubbing his shoulder against mine and passed by without even
recognizing me. It was the biggest shock and relief of my life. I
still don't know which emotion was predominant at that moment.

After sometime, Rachna went away to her home oblivious of the fact
what ever I just revealed, and I came back to mine.

At home that night, life seemed to me like a prison. I went for
dinner with a fearful heart and a lost appetite. To my surprise,
everything was so very normal. My mother served dinner and we all
ate the usual way. This made my life more miserable. I quickly
finished my food and went back to my room. Questions crowded my mind
and I couldn't figure out what might have happened after my father
came back home and revealed about my forged romantic rendezvous. Why
everything was still so normal pained my mind even more!

Presently my father calmly came into my room and sat beside me. I
looked into his eyes with fear in mine but discovered a smooth
comfort in his! He soothingly asked, "So Sunny Boy, how was your
date, I must say she was a pretty and sweet lady!"

Like somewhat mesmerized I revealed everything to him about my first
date and added, "Dad, it was simply out of this world, but the day
passed away like a few minutes only!"

He smiled and said, "You know what, Albert Einstein once said ...
Put your hand on a hot oven for a minute and it would seem like and
hour; put your hand upon those of a pretty lady for an hour and it
would seem like a minute! Now that's relativity. Its all relative,
the fact is how much you cherish what you gained ... RIGHT! This is
the biggest lesson of life my son"

I had never seen my father being like this before; he was more of a
buddy than my guardian actually. I could feel within me that I would
never ever be able to hide anything else from him, he actually
understood me much more than my own self.

We talked for an hour and I would remember those words forever
perhaps! I couldn't interpret whether it was my First Date with my
dream girl or the First Date of knowing my father actually. However
I knew that I realized how much I loved and respected my father
after that. Just as he was leaving my room I called him and
said "Thank You daddy! Thank you so much!"

Both of us knew what I was thankful for and required no mentioning.
He turned towards me with his dreamy eyes and said these words...

"Hey son, how could I ever let you down my child, never! I would
just say, whatever happens in life and whomever you love in your
life and to whatever degree, you only remember one thing that your
Daddy has loved you 18 years more than that. 18 years more than that
dear!"

He switched off the light and went to his room. In the mild blue and
gray of the moonlight ushering into my room through the window I too
could feel one thing ... Yes, its truly 18 more years of Love, I, or
any child, can never ever cover up! It was in fact my First Date,
the first one of actually realizing the Love I had taken for granted
for all those Eighteen Years perhaps! It truly was so.