It was midnight when her mother asked her to sleep, ‘go to bed, you have to go to school tomorrow’ her mother said in a loud voice from the kitchen. Just going mummy, only one chapter is left, I will study that and will sleep in half an hour, she replied.

She lived with her family, in a small village of Uttar Pradesh, her family included her father and mother and she herself. They made a very beautiful family, who stood by eachother in every good and bad situation. Her father loved her more than anything in this world. She was the apple of their eye.

One evening…

It was raining heavily, the storm was at its zenith, the whole village was out of power, the roads were full of water. It was getting very difficult there, and in this typical situation, she was sick, she was burning from fever, vomiting, cough, weakness all these symptoms have had made the grip over her body. Her health was getting worst by passing time, and it was no less than a hell for her parents seeing their daughter drowning in a pain. Somehow her father managed to go out and call the village doctor so he could check his daughter and cure her. He walked out without an umbrella, struggling walking on the roads full of mud and water, directly went at doctor’s door. He was not in his senses, he just wanted to see his daughter smile again with that same innocence. As soon as possible he reached his house with the doctor. Doctor sahab! Dekhiye na kya ho gaya hai isko, subeh se aise hi jal rahi hai, he nearly begged to the doctor for his daughter. The doctor checked her and said she is very serious and she needs to be hospitalized as soon as possible. Take her to the main town, admit her in the hospital, she will be treated their and she will be fine, for now I am giving her some medicines, take her to the town tomorrow, the doctor said and gave the medicine, and left.

He was a poor farmer, and his wife was a simple housewife, and admitting her in hospital would cost high, but no matter how much it costed they had to do everything it takes to save their daughter’s life. So he grabbed everything he had on the name of money, and left for the town next morning…

Next morning…

They reached the town at 9:00 am and were at hospital around 9:30 am. He had 20000-25000 in his pocket at that moment, and after reaching hospital he had no chance of looking back. He consulted with doctors, and his daughter was admitted in the hospital. After one week… The treatment was going well, his daughter was responding very well to the treatment. Your daughter is doing good, she will recover soon, said the doctor, while checking her nerves. Thank you doctor sahab, sab apka meharabani hai, the couple replied in one tone with joining hands. We need to keep her for one more week and then she will be fine and you can take her home, for now buy these medicines, said that doctor while leaving the room and handing over the prescription to him. He had no money left. All he had was spent on his daughter treatment, and yet her daughter hasn’t recovered completely, he had to do something to arrange the money, but what? He asked to himself.

After one hour…

He thought to himself nearly for one hour, what to do?how to arrange the money? And finally, when nothing seemed to be happen, he went straight to the doctor, and said,’ doctor sahab! Ab humare pas paise nahi bache hai apni bitiya ka ilaj karane ke liye, aap abhi uska ilaj kar dijiye, jaise hi humari bitiya thik ho jayegi, hum ghar bech kar apka paisa chuka denge, par abhi aap humari bitiya ko bacha lo’, he begged to the doctor. I can’t help you sir, I am under above authorities they won’t allow me to do treatment for no money, doctor said in helpless tone. He again begged to the doctor to help him. After having a deep thought,he said, there is a way you can continue your daughter’s treatment without paying money, will you able to do that? Doctor asked him, ‘anything for my daughter ‘ ( meri bitiya ke liye kuch bhi karunga), he replied in a hopeful tone. Ok! Listen, their is a scheme in our hospital, the family of the staff members of this hospital are treated for free here, so if you can work here, the treatment of your daughter will be free and you can earn as well, will you able to do this, doctor asked him. He nodded his head in yes! And then suddenly lost in thoughts, seeing him in thoughts, the doctor asked, ‘what happen? What are you thinking? You don’t wanna work here?’ Doctor shooted the questions back to back. ‘ No no! I want to work, but the problem is I am a poor farmer, I am not even educated’ , what will I do in this hospital? He replied in tensed tone. ‘Can you do cleaning? ‘ ( Mareez logo ka kachra uthaoge? Unka khoon patti saaf karoge? Toilet saf kroge?). ‘ the doctor asked in a little loud tone, ‘ Apni bitiya ke liye hum sab karunga sahab’ ( I will do everything for my daughter) he replied in happy tone. But sir please don’t tell my wife about this, she will not be able to see me working like this, she will start working with me, and I don’t want my wife to do all this, he requested. Ok! You can work in another wing of the hospital, come I will take you to the cleaning head, he will tell you what to do and how to do, he will explain you your job, the doctor said. Now he was working in the other wing of the hospital, he was cleaning the hospital, patient’s room, toilet, blood, potty etc. He was doing it whole heartedly just for his daughter. Now he didn’t need to pay for his daughter’s treatment, and with that he was earning money too. He was happy…

One day…

There were three more days left for one week to get over. Doctor came and examined his daughter, and gave the good news, you don’t need to worry, she will be discharged in 2-3 days, the doctor said. After doctor left, he bid a bye to his daughter and his wife, and left for work in other wing of the hospital. While he was leaving, some other staff of the same wing where his daughter was admitted handed over him a wiper to clean a patient’s room, he had no choice, he took the wiper and started cleaning it. Here his daughter was so curious to know, where did father go, leaving her and mother alone, she had this question every day, today she decided to follow his father. She was a 16 year old girl, she was very inquisitive. Mummy I am going to washroom, she said to her mother, come I will take you, her mother replied, no! Its ok! I will go by my own, I am better now, you take rest, I will be back soon, she replied, and left the room. She was searching her father in hospital everywhere, but she couldn’t find him, and then she saw a man coming directly straight to her carrying a bucket in one hand wiper in other, and a piece of cloth on his shoulder, she finally recognised him, he was her father, she was shocked seeing her father in this way. She immediately hide herself, so that her father couldn’t see her. As soon as her father passed her, she again followed him, her father went to cleaning staff room, she was shocked seeing all this, she decided to ask her father what is all this happening, and she was about to step forward, when she heard a voice, ‘ how is your daughter doing?’ a male voice asked, oh! She is doing good, infact the doctor said she will be discharged in 2-3 days, I am so happy, other male voice replied, it was her father’s voice, she recognised it. Its very good, it’s worth it, you really worked very hard for her good health and treatment, the first male voice said, I can do anything for my daughter, I can clean the whole India if it costs my daughter’s life, comparing to that it’s just a small hospital, her father replied in a proud and satisfied tone at the same time. Hearing the conversation, she took her step back, she was freezed their, she can’t even move a bit, she had tears in her eyes, she was feeling happy and sad at the same moment, happy for having such a father, and sad for the pain he suffered for her, she rushed out of the room, she went to the washroom, and cried their till heart was light. She didn’t tell her mother about any of these things…

3 days later…

‘ She has recovered completely, so you can take her home’ , the doctor said. Thank you doctor sahab! Aap nahi hote to humari bitiya thik nahi ho pati, he said joining his hands, jo kiya hai tumne kiya hai, the doctor replied, and left the room. After an hour later they were on railway platform, train was yet to arrive. ‘ Have these samosas, you both must be hungry’ , her father said, handing over the samosas to his wife and his daughter. ‘ Papa! Aren’t you hungry? Did you ate something ‘, she asked her father with the innocence in her eyes, ‘ I will have it, you guys eat, I will eat later ‘, he replied, ‘ No Papa! Today we are eating together, and you will make me eat by your own hands ‘, she said with full right over his father. He smiled, and said, ‘ ok! Let’s have samosas together ‘ , hearing the conversation between father daughter, her mother got emotional, and prayed to God ‘ bless them’ in her heart. While eating samosas, she asked her father, papa how long you can love me like this, without wanting anything in return? Till you find someone whom you can love more than your papa, and he should also love you more than me, then I will stop loving you like this, he replied in happy tone, putting a piece of samosa in her mouth. Papa! No matter who comes in my life in future, just remember one thing, you will always be MY FIRST LOVE PAPA… she replied and hid her face in her father’s arms…❤️