I scroll through the insta reels mindlessly as I wait for my turn outside the neighborhood ATM. Even without looking up, I can sense a certain restless movement nearby.
From the furthest corner of my eye, I see a stout man standing and punching his fists against each other.
Intrigued, I turn my attention to him. How difficult is it these days to wait for a minute outside an ATM?
Rising on his toes, he folds his arms behind his head and tries to catch a glimpse of whatever is happening inside the ATM.
“Yes!” he throws his hands up in euphoria.
I too turn my head to look at what has happened. The girl inside the ATM is giving him a thumbs-up.
I get it now. He is the father. She is his daughter.
I chuckle at my initial assumption and try not to make it too conspicuous. But he has seen my reaction.
“It’s her first time madam! She pulled out money in her first attempt!” A gentle pride accompanies his voice as he spills out the beans.
“Yeah! I could make out!” I respond with a smile.
“She is smart madam. That is why I want to teach her these little things early on.” He continues to speak with childlike enthusiasm.
I nod in agreement.
The 11/12-year-old rushes out of the ATM and is now bobbing up and down in front of her father.
“Shabash meri Lalli!” The man hops closer, hugs her, and plants a kiss on her forehead.
I wipe off the moistness around my eyes.
They take a stroll, hand in hand, towards the nearby general store deciding on which ice-cream to have. I see them enjoying a kulfi stick in the next two minutes.
I once again turn towards the ATM and realise that someone has already got in again. Thanks to my distracted self.
But I am not complaining. On the contrary, happiness is cruising through my entire being because I think I may have been witness to an extraordinary moment, even if it was fleeting.
Now you may wonder what is extraordinary about a young girl learning to withdraw money from an ATM.
It is. It is not just extraordinary; I think it is exemplary.
You see, the father didn’t just teach his daughter how to withdraw money from the ATM. He also helped the girl build her self-confidence and nurture it. He gave her a chance to celebrate it. Most girls in our country never get that one chance, ever.
It is extraordinary because the father also gave his daughter a beautiful memory to cherish, years later. Most girls in this country are so used to seeing their mothers taking care of just about anything, they grow up without any such memory.
It is also extraordinary because this father unintentionally taught her daughter to associate with people, specifically men, who can cheer as hard for her, as he did. If they can jump for joy in your success, even better. Most girls in our country still settle for much less.
It is extraordinary because it is in these little moments that life greets us.
Women’s day just went by and as happy and proud I am to be a woman, I am also equally thrilled to see some men raise their daughters with loveInstagram and pride. These fathers have a huge responsibility to fulfil- giving the world women who feel complete as individuals, and not just women.
Their presence is our only hope against patriarchy.