I had heard a lot about Deepak uncle from my mentor mother even before I went to the Greater Noida home. That said, I had never imagined then that uncle would become such an important figure in my life.

I met him at the house. He sat with me in the living area and asked me about myself to which my mentor mother informed that I was very good at studies. It was then that uncle told me that I was in his home, and that he would help me achieve my goals. He said he helps all those who are hardworking and give priority to their careers and studies. And that’s how our relationship strengthened over time. I regularly sat with him in his office for discussions on matters related both to studies and otherwise.

I consider him as my parent and it would be an endless list if I were to point out all the good things that he has done for me. There is no way to measure or repay everything our parents do for us. All I can say for certain is that whatever I am today is because of him.

His love, care and support has ensured that I have never felt alone. He has always tried his best to provide unconditional love to all the children in the home.

Personally, I feel that if papa had not been there in the Greater Noida home, I would not have survived there, because being a girl who hardly gets along with people due to trust issues and past experiences, I could never trust anyone at the home. For the same reason, I hardly had any friends there. But papa had faith in me and gave me the courage to overcome the trust issues and get along with people easily. He stood by me at every point of time and guided me wherever I went wrong.

I think going to the Greater Noida was another turning point of my life because I finally got to know what father’s love means. He has not only helped me to grow as a person but also helped me professionally. I got to interact with so many people from different walks of life only because he helped me to get all those wonderful internships in well-known companies.

To think of it, I believe he has always given his best for me. In fact, papa and I often faced many ups and downs in our bond, and it was always I who would get upset and rude, but he never gave up on me and would keep on responding to me with the same smile on his face which he always carries within himself. There is human tendency to find mistakes in everything. So, I personally feel that no matter how much papa would have done, if any of these children feel that the things aren’t according to their liking, they would feel so. It’s part of the growing up process. When we are in our adolescence, we always encounter differences with our parents and guardians, and therefore, it’s common for an adolescent to get angry with parents when things are not according to them but that doesn’t mean that we don’t love our parents. In fact I don’t think so that anyone in the home except for me had ever been angry with papa. I had many fights with him, more than anyone else could have had and I’m the one who use to get ang
ry with him more than anyone in home, yet I’m one of the most loving daughters of my Papa.

There are many memories the two of us share because we have a wonderful bond. But one of the best memories that I have is about a time when I came to know that my real father has passed away and my blood relatives wanted me to come home and do the last ritual but I knew what I really wanted. I shared this piece of news with papa and that day he kept his hand on my head and said that “you have your father. I’m your father, and you’re my daughter. That day I got a father as well who loved me unconditionally and guided me at every stage of my life.

Tannu