Dear Appa

We may not speak all the time

Or at least

Not as much as Amma and I do, perhaps

But I want you to know

That you are not any less special

Not even an iota

Where do I even start?

From buying me countless toys

Even as I kept breaking them

One after the other

To taking me to countless places

Especially by train

Supporting my education throughout

Right from school to B-school

Sponsoring my cricket coaching

Even as I ultimately turned out to be a disappointment

And finally

Being a shoulder to cry on

During some of the most difficult phases of my life

There’s so much that you’ve done for me

And still are doing

That I can’t even keep track

Of course, there are certain moments

That I’ll never forget

Whether it be the eighty hours spent in the train

On our trip to Darjeeling

Or playing cricket downstairs

In order to avoid watching India lose a match

Or watching Malayalam movies on OTT

As they say

More than the memories themselves

It’s the people you share them with

That make them truly special

And you are truly special indeed