‭Dear Daddy,‬

I‭ hope this letter finds you in a place of peace and serenity. Although you are no longer‬
‭with us in the physical world, your presence continues to be felt in every corner of our‬
‭lives. I will write this letter as a loving son, as many will discuss tales of your glory, and‬
‭the effects that you have had on a community but a true man is one who is the same at‬
‭home as he is to the rest of the world.‬

‭ eflecting on the moments we shared, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude for‬
R
‭having had you as my father. Your Embodiment of the meaning of love, when you used‬
‭to greet people of all forms with the same level of love, your words shared with me‬
‭never needed to be many, the eloquence in the way you spoke would hit the heart;s‬
‭strings directly. I miss your warmth in our home, and the cheerful laugh that we were‬
‭blessed to hear, you were the best father one could ask for. All these memories have left‬
‭an indelible mark on my heart, and continue shaping me into the person I am today.‬

‭ s I sit down to write these words, I am reminded of the time on the day of my‬
A
‭engagement in hyderabad the absolute happiness that you felt in that moment I cannot‬
‭even begin to express in words, I saw you become speechless with emotions and you‬
‭cried because of how overjoyed you were, I will never forget that, and my only regret is‬
‭that i did not hug you as hard as I could in that moment. It encapsulates the essence of‬
‭the love, wisdom, and warmth you brought into our lives. Your presence was always a‬
‭source of comfort and inspiration, whenever I came to kiss you goodbye or say‬
‭goodmorning, you sometimes just held my hand and asked me to sit with you saying‬
‭“The presence of all of my children gives me an abundance of energy, you are my‬
‭energy”.‬

I‭n times of joy, you celebrated with infectious laughter, and in times of sorrow, your‬
‭steady presence provided solace and strength. You were not just a father, but a guiding‬
‭light, a source of unwavering support, and a true friend.‬

I‭ often find myself becoming closer to you in my person, after your passing from this‬
‭world that has become apparaent you are everything for me and my role model, When I‬
‭see children with their fathers that remind me of you, and in those moments, I feel a‬
‭deep connection that transcends the boundaries of time and space.‬

‭ our legacy lives on in every walk of life wherever you have been every one remembers‬
Y
‭you with the utmost respect. Just last week I visited Bhanbore, the guide there served in‬
t‭ he times when you held the Seminar, wherever I go, no matter how remote you are‬
‭mentioned in some form or another. You once said to me “You like it right? Hearing your‬
‭father being mentioned by so many people and respected, now imagine your son‬
‭experience these things about you”. It is a testament to the remarkable person you‬
‭were. How can I as a son now even begin to think of achieving what you have and how‬
‭do I carry on your legacy, you also once said to me “I want you to remember my words,‬
‭Rather than being remembered as my son, I want people to remember me as your‬
‭father”. Who says things like this?‬

I‭ want to thank you, Dad, for the countless lessons, the immeasurable love, and the‬
‭enduring impact you've had on my life. You will forever be a cherished part of my story.‬

‭ ntil we meet again,‬

U
‭Your loving son,‬

‭Arees Khan Mangi‬

‭ e walked out of our drawing room along with other men of our and Arees’s family. But‬
H
‭nobody’s face was as compassionate as his. In my entire life I always longed for this‬
‭elderly love. A feeling I have rarely felt from any elder person before. He was different.‬
‭He knew how to show love to the souls who have been longing for love but were not‬
‭able to find it often. He knew how to spoil someone with love and affection. And alas,‬
‭such a loss for the souls like us who just found him but were not lucky enough to spend‬
‭more time in his loving shed. The love which was so vivid in his eyes. He looked at me‬
‭with his beautiful and pure smile and asked me to come and hug him.‬

I‭t was slightly awkward for me because in our household we rarely use to meet elders in‬
‭this way. But as I said he was different. He never hesitated. He believed showing‬
‭affection is not something to be ashamed of. And I have never seen a man of his age‬
‭before thinking this way.‬

‭ e took me in his arms and kissed my forehead. He asked for my hand for his son. He‬
H
‭told my parents “it has been so long since our house is without a niyari (daughter) and‬
‭we have come today to ask you to give us that in the form of Seerat.” He said, “I have‬
‭come to get a star from here”. These words felt like warm hugs to me then.‬

‭ oon mine and arees’ engagement was announced. I remember the day of my‬
S
‭engagement I was walking down and Daddy was the first one I met before even meeting‬
‭arees. He held me in his arms again. His eyes were so overfilled with joy that they were‬
‭shining with tears and they were telling me how much he values me. I long for those‬
‭eyes today. I long for that beautiful compassionate face that used to look at me as if I’m‬
‭the most ideal daughter in law one could get.‬

I‭ am not a depiction of the mainstream beauty that older generation usually‬

‭appreiciates. Not a fair skin or long hair. But He was able to see beauty in me just the‬
‭way arees does. He saw me for what I was inside out and he appreciated it. And I‬
‭appreciated him. We created this beautiful friendship with each other that is so hard to‬
‭put in to words. But it will always breaks my heart that it was so short lived. That I was‬
‭not lucky enough to be with him for more.‬

I‭ remember one day I visited him in hospital he was on his bed. I told him I am reciting‬
‭duas on him everyday every hour so that he feels better. He looked at me with his loving‬
‭eyes,kisses my hand. Asks me to come closer so that he could hug me and whispered‬
‭in my ears “I don’t know how God has gifted me pali palayi beti (daughter) in your form”‬
‭ y ears could still hear that voice. The day he died my ears could still hear that‬
M
‭sentence. And It felt like I have lost a father. I felt orphan, because he was no more here.‬
‭The love that I just found and was so grateful for was taken away just like that. And I‬
‭didn’t know what to do about it.‬

‭ eople usually think that the relationship between a daughter-in-law and a father-in-law‬
P
‭is not that strong. But maybe they never had the chance to have a father-in-law like‬
‭daddy. My heart knows what a gem I have lost while I was so near to have it. I wish he‬
‭could be here on my wedding day, taking me in his arms welcoming me to the family. I‬
‭wish so many things that I could have witnessed with him. But what else one can do‬
‭except for wishing…‬

‭ evertheless, I have promised myself to keep on his legacy in any way I can. And I‬
N
‭remember him being lively and loving. Hence I want to remember him in that manner.‬
‭Therefore, on this platform I would just like to say that‬

‭Dear daddy,‬

‭ hank you for putting this huge smile on my face whenever I met you. Usually people‬
T
‭know you as an amazing person for the outer society but you were even more polite,‬
‭sweet, kind-hearted and emotionally available for your family. And I am amazed on the‬
‭fact that how perfectly you created a balance in both. How you made everyone feel like‬
‭special in their own way. How could you give so much to everyone but still feel content‬
‭in yourself. How can you be loving yet knows how to create boundaries. Thinking about‬
‭all this makes me realise what an emotionally intelligent soul you are.‬

‭ hank you for making me part of your family and giving me unconditional love that I will‬
T
‭always cherish. I know it was short lived but it was the most beautiful thing I ever‬
‭experienced.‬

‭I miss it.‬

‭ nd I miss you. Wherever I listen ami’s loving anecdotes about you. (Just wanted you to‬
A
‭know your stories still put that wide smile on her face.) Whenever I see arees’s eyes, his‬
‭hands, his habits, they remind me of you. Whenever I see the books on the shelves you‬
‭have set. Whenever I see the “SEERAT” name on the home’s wifi that was written by you.‬
‭Whenever I see your classic cd collection and portion of jagjit Singh in it. Whenever I am‬
‭sitting on the sofa and imagining what this home must have felt like with you in it‬

‭I miss you every day, and forever.‬

‭ ish we could have more together, but God plans what He has to. As if you and I were‬
W
‭too good to be true…‬

‭ ith this hope that one day I could meet you again and we could smile like before, drink‬
W
‭tea together in the garden, listen to jagjit’s ghazals and tell each other all the things we‬
‭wanted to talk about.‬

‭I will wait for that day daddy‬

‬ ‬‫‮کہاں‬‮ہو‮‬ُتم‬‮چلے‬‮آؤ‬‮محبت‬‮کا‬‮تقاضا‬‭/‬ ‬
‭/‫‮ہے‬

‭-Your “Fav Bengali Heroine” Bahu forever.‬