Father’s Day Contest: A Gift To Cherish

This wonderful little entry was sent by Abhijeet Chatterjee, 46, about his baba, Pulak Chandra Chatterjee, 91. This is one of the Top 5 entries in our Father’s Day Contest held recently. Enjoy the read…

Can you really express your gratitude for your father, I think not!

Yet, my earliest recollection that I cherish to this day was October 19, 1995. It was the Puja’s – a major festival in Kolkata. I had just got my first bonus in life, and I had immediately decided to give a little token of appreciation to “my role model.”

Those were the days when ‘The New Market’ in Kolkata was the shopping destination for one and all, and I took him to a quaint shop on Lindsay Street. I asked him “Baba, please choose a pair of trousers.” I could feel the joy in his heart and his eyes welled up in tears. He looked at a couple of pairs as I watched with extreme joy, and finally he selected a pair of Khaki trousers with pleats. I paid for the trousers and when we walked out of the store, my father couldn’t stop beaming. He did not speak a

word as I drove him home, but the way he cradled the “gift” was worth a thousand words.

(The photograph above shows Abhijeet’s father Pulak Chandra Chatterjee on a visit to England.)