A dad's angst....

I'd an unusual call late in the evening from a gentleman, currently languishing in hospital, with an attack of dengue fever - the number of cases of this fever has been steadily increasing since the onset of monsoons a week back. The waste disposal system - all over the state - has virtually collapsed, with mounts of assorted waste awaiting disposal at every nook and cranny, exploding the myth of the 'mallus' being clean and who emphasised cleanliness in their surroundings! More about it later lest I digress from the thought for the day!!

His only daughter, an IT professional, has fallen for a boy hailing from the Malabar area. He's smart, hails from a good family and is the only son to his parents but has a drawback - despite his engineering degree, he's refused to take up any job and is a member of a band with his eyes set on making a career in the Malayalam film industry as a music director! Now, it's my very personal opinion that the young man's aptitude is not to be laughed away despite the uncertainties of its accomplishment but to a father whose only daughter is to be married to a prospective son-in-law, it becomes a tough proposition.

What if the boy doesn't make it? And if at all he makes it, will the glitz and razzmatazz of the film world allow him to lead a normal family life? In continuation, will the daughter be comfortable with his fans which is but a natural fallout for all those who go on to be successful in the field? The questions were many and the father had poured his heart out. The fact that his wife and immediate family have given the green signal to the alliance coupled with his daughter's posting on her Facebook page that she's finally found her 'right' man has isolated him completely. And they've asked him not to be an impediment in the proceedings in no uncertain terms.

While appreciating his 'fatherly' apprehensions, I tried to explain to him the following:-

       (a) For any relationship to take off the most important aspect was that the boy and the girl must have
            an affinity for each other.
       (b) While putting across one's apprehensions, it was also incumbent on one to listen to the opinions
             of the other side - in this case, that of the mother and the daughter. And a final decision could be
             arrived at, within the family, once the pros and the cons are discussed at length.
       (c) Trying to answer the slew of 'what if questions' that might arise would be as futile as gazing at
            the crystal ball.
       (d) And finally, come what may, I'd stand by his decision even if it did not go by the majority!


Tailpiece.

I dunno whether I was able to smooth his ruffled feathers, my only fear being that he doesn't aggravate his illness by dwelling on unproductive thoughts because he's a simple man!