An irreplaceable bond

Today as I was clearing the bed I noticed a book which my son had read and left on the bed. I saw this book was a series of short stories by the great Rabindranath Tagore. Suddenly I remembered the story of Cabuliwallah.

When I was in school, the moment I used to get my textbooks I used to read all the lessons. So when I went through the lessons, one of the lessons was that of Cabuliwallah. I remember reading it and by the time I completed it I was in tears. It was the most touching story. Every time I would read it I used to always cry.

I thought this story brought out the wonderful bond shared between a stranger and a little girl. The Cabuliwallah away from his own little daughter gets attached to this little girl Mini in whom he tries to see his own daughter. The last scene specially is very touching. The Cabuliwallah comes back from the prison. He comes to see his little Mini. Instead he finds a grown up decked bride getting ready for her wedding day. It is then that he realises that even his little daughter whom he had left behind in Afghanistan might have grown up into a young woman. All that he had with him was his little daughter's handprint on a crumpled sheet of paper which he would carry with him everywhere.

Many a time I have seen father and daughters sharing such a wonderful bond and this story is an ode to that special father - daughter relationship.