*Beautiful* “Daddy look at my feet. I have such ugly feet.” Ashutosh looked at his 13 year old daughter. “Why do you say that, Ashka? You are so beautiful.” “No daddy, I’m not. I am not even fair. I don’t have a good height. Look at my wobbly legs and these ugly pimples.” Ashka cribbed. “Ashka baby, you’re being too harsh on yourself.” “No daddy! Nature has been harsh to me. I look like this ugly toad.” Ashutosh was a single father and had been bringing up his daughter all by himself since she was ten. He would try to be a part of his daughter’s life by talking to her about school, her friends, the TV shows she loved, the actors she would develop a ‘’crush’’ on. But Ashutosh did not know how to reassure his daughter on girly teenage issues like that zit on her forehead or her hairfall issues. “Daddy, I want to get my eyebrows done and waxing and an anti-tan facial too.” “Baby, listen to me. I am your daddy and I only want you to be happy.” “Is that a no, dad?” “No baby! I’m not saying no. I just feel you’re too young for all these chemicals.” “Daddy! Everybody in school gets this done. Asra and Nisha are in fourth grade and they get all this done. I am in sixth grade. I am the ugliest girl in my school.” “Ashka, listen to me. Do you remember the time when you were four years old? Do you remember how proud you were that your feet was bigger than all the other kids? Why have these unreal body images gotten into your head?” “Dad, I was cute when I was four. Chubby cheeks were cute now it is loathsome. I never had acne back then. “No Ashka. If you needed to get your eyebrows done to be happy, I would have taken you to the parlour. But you think you are ugly because you have seen some airbrushed model with thin long legs. You think perfectly arched eyebrows will take you closer to some morphed idea of beauty that you have in your head. I bought you a kajal last week because it made you happy. I didn’t bring it so that you could look less ugly in your own words.” “Daddy, I am not beautiful.” “You are beautiful. Everybody has a different idea of beauty, trust me. For you, the model with perfectly done hair is beautiful. For me, my Ashka’s curly chestnut color hair is perfect. I love those feet. For me, it is the most beautiful pair of legs in the world.” “You mean it dad? Am I beautiful?” “I swear on your mom.” “I love you daddy.” “I love you the most, sweetheart.” That day Ashutosh learnt a very important lesson. His daughter needed his time, and his love. A simple assurance meant so much to his Ashka. He realized that Ashka didnt need trips to parlors to feel beautiful, his words were enough. --Sreyasi Verma
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 10:25:29 +0000
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