My Teddy Bear

I remember, that since the time I turned four, there were only two objects of the materialistic world that my naïve heart desired- 1. My very own Golden Retriever and
2. the life-size teddy bear at the local card store.
I had made up my mind! I would use my very first salary to buy my first doggie (actually, ‘bring’ my first doggie, ’cause in my opinion, ‘buying’ a dog reflects upon one’s insensitivity). Well, at 27, I became a qualified doctor and ‘Dream Number One’ realized. I brought home, a tiny, 1 month old puppy, whom I named Crush.
Ridiculous as it might sound, I had still not got over my childhood fantasy of being the proud owner of a giant teddy bear. “But a ‘matured’, ‘grown-up’ and to top it all, a ‘doctor’ buying a huge stuffed animal! Atrocious!” The rules of the ‘sensible’ world deterred me…
Every time I’d visit the card shop, I’d look longingly at this adorable creation… I’d stroke his head, aching to just hug him, hold him and snuggle in his huge arms until the end of time…
Time flew and I met the man of my dreams, and was to get married on 15 December, which incidentally happens to be my birthday too. And, guess what I found on my bed when I returned home from work, a week before the 15th …? My most coveted stuffed bear, wrapped in clear cellophane with lots of pink ribbons. I read the little card which hung from the end of one of the curled ribbons; it said: “To my ‘Little Princess’ on her last birthday in this haven where she grew up…almost too quickly to believe…Love, Dad…”
Excitedly, I tore open the paper and hugged my childhood buddy with all the love that my heart was capable of expressing. His round belly, his sunshine smile, his tender touch, his warmth…so adoring…so comforting…
I rushed outside to give my Daddy the most enormous, most gigantic hug of all time. Involuntarily, my mind asked, “How did he get to know?” And in a spilt second, my heart replied, “How would he not know? You’re ‘Daddy’s Little Princess’ after all…!”
And there he stood…in the midst of all the confusion and excitement of a Punjabi household , all set to celebrate…I ran towards him and he embraced me just as he did when I walked out of preschool into his arms…
Tears of unspoken joy filled our eyes…I hugged him, held him and snuggled in his huge arms. My ears focused on the rhythmic beat of his heart- a heart of gold, which never failed to touch the souls of all those whom he cared for…A heart which now whispered, “I love you, my darling…”
And in a flash, I knew what I was leaving behind…my childhood buddy, my very own life-size teddy-bear, with his round belly, his sunshine smile, his tender touch, his warmth…most adoring…most comforting…DAD!