Mother and Father are equally crucial for a child. However, as we all know, life is unpredictable and brings many challenges.
This Father’s Day, we talked to Vinodchandra H Shah, a single father who ensured his daughter got the best of everything in her life. This father’s heart was strong and filled with so much love that no challenge could break it down.
“I got married in the year 1981 and Poonam was born in 1982. We had an arranged marriage and had some common challenges that an arrange marriage faces. However, we were a happy family with a small angel in our home. Things went downhill when we came to know about the heart problem my wife was going through. Living in Ahmedabad in those days, it was very hard to find treatment. We wandered here & there till someone suggested us a proper doctor in Mumbai,” shared Vindodchandra in a candid conversation with LifeBeyondNumbers.
After trying many treatments and medicines, things did not improve much, and they lost her in 1989. It was a challenging phase for the family, and the father-daughter duo took time to cope with her absence. He worked as a peon in a bank in Ahmedabad. The struggle was not just emotional but financial as well. He wanted to give the little girl a life filled with love, joy & laughter.
The Journey Ahead
After a few years, he decided to get married again. Everybody insisted on it, and he also felt it would be good to have a mother for the child. However, this decision did not go well. Not only was he unhappy with this marriage, but the daughter was also not treated well by her step-mom. Soon, they parted ways, and he was alone with his daughter again.
He made a strong decision after parting ways.
“I was very firm at that time about being by myself. No matter what, I will single-handedly take care of my daughter and bring her up. I knew it would be a bit hard with all the difficulties we had, but I wanted to be sure that my daughter does not have to suffer more because of me.”
Then was the phase when father and daughter bonded perfectly well. A conversation that every mother and daughter have was now taking place between the father and daughter. In some instances, a few aunts would also come over and shower their love on Poonam. However, it was just the two at home at the end of the day.
He complimented his daughter well whenever she got dressed up for any event. From helping her dress up to having the communication of periods, his father never backed off from his duties. Just like a mother takes care of a daughter during her period and lets her rest, he used to give her the same empathy and compassion on those days as well.
Also, read: This Doting Single Father Deserves A Mother’s Day Hug For It Takes A Strong Man To Be A Mom
Love always wins
Years passed, and the father-daughter duo grew together. Poonam had started working, and her father had become a clerk from a peon. Now was when society started putting pressure on her to get married. The same happened, and people played their part without fail. Despite so many taunts and comments, he never pressured his daughter to get married.
She was given the needed time to find an appropriate guy that understood her. After a few years, when the time was right, she finally got married. Currently, she also has two kids and lives happily with her husband!
Also, read: This Father’s Day, Meet A Whole New Bunch Of Indian Dads Who Are Redefining Fatherhood
The Surprise!
Many people still believe that a son can only take care of their parents. Their family and other relatives used to pass negative comments when their daughter was born. However, the couple was delighted to have a daughter. Not only that, the father always wanted a daughter. On being asked about why he wanted a daughter and not a son, he shared,
“I always wanted an angel in my home because I feel daughters are much more sensitive and caring.”
Today, he lives happily in Ahmedabad with his daughter’s family. He has gone through a couple of surgeries in the past few years, and Poonam was by her father’s side during every surgery and has taken care of him just like he used to take care of her in childhood. This father-daughter duo watches Chota Bheem and Tarak Mehta together to freshen up.
Wishing you all a Happy Father’s Day!