PAPA MERE TEENAGER!

When I became a mum at 45, a lot of well, wishers told me I would find it difficult to raise a baby. Of course, my parents made life damn easy for me. Dont parents always do that? Sigh. Anyway coming back to point. Then there was another smirking lot of well, wishers commented that as my age mates were raising teenagers I was stuck with an infant. Like I said, parents always help you. Always.

My dad like a typical MY DADDY STRONGEST sprung to my support. No no, he didn't get me a teenage kid. He became one for me! With all the prime requisites...the rants, the temper, the unreasonable demands, the opinion in everything: the whole package. And then came the various lockdowns-1.0,2.0, right upto 5. something. Lockdown 5 or Unlock 1 we ares still debating!

During all of them, he has been my ever performing teenager. Every excuse to step out and he is there... Everyday and raring to go! Every moment, an issue with the lockdown, feeling hormonal and making us feel like wardens of a prison. Every day hoping he can step out. Even arbit remarks like " Oh god the stuff is here, we are all busy, who will go down?" He appears like the magical Genie "Ill go!" "No Papa you cant... we are figuring." "But you said there is no one!" "Papa that was a thinking aloud remark. You can't go!" "Oh..." and then he goes back to his work.Sulking. Murmuring. "Why can't I go out" and my mind whispers "Coz you are 70 and can't .. we want you to live longer."

Sometimes I feel its time turning back, where I am the parent and him the teenage kid! Like we are back in the 80s. Sometimes it feels like being a defensive player in basketball... and he has the ball... and I have to stop him from scoring the goal. At his age, am sure he feels younger. At mine, I feel my 4 year old can be handled better than my 70 year old adolescent dad! Each day, throws new challenges. A 4 year old can still be handled or cajoled. Its when the "dad" in my teenager raises his head and says "Don't forget I am your father and I will do as I please!", that's when I am really stumped!

Coz a Dad might behave like a teenager, but he is the Dad. End of my Rant.