Dear Baba,
First of all, very very happy returns of the day! :)
Now, the confession.
I know that I am not the best son, and I have never been. I get angry on you for no apparent reasons, don't call you often, hardly speak for 5 mins a day and the list goes on and on and on. Whenever we meet, we always have a bone to pick and something to argue about, and I know, for 99% of the time, it's my fault. I have disappointed you for hundreds and thousands of time, and I am sorry for that.
But despite all this, you have always loved me. You always cared for me. Even though I chased over aspirational dreams, which probably didn't have any future, you still stood behind me, and always ensured that I have enough fuel to chase those dreams. Thanks a lot for that.
Do you remember when you were teaching me how to ride a bicycle? Well, I was pretty small back then, but not less stubborn and wicked. And I have always been a slow learner, and a pricky one too. I would fall often, would never want to practice and had almost given up on it. "Cycle nahi chalavali tari chalel (it's okay if I don't learn how to ride a bicycle)" I'd always say. I'd get very angry when I'd see others riding a cycle, despite they started learning later than me. I would cry and shout and scream. And if you remember, a similar situation occurred when you tried teaching me how to swim. Or how to play cricket. Or how to recite an answer in 5th-6th-7th standards. Or how to ride a bike. Or perhaps, in its whole entirety, how to live a life. I have been a terrible student, but you never gave up on me. You always came to pick me up, when I took a dive, despite all my tantrums. And you have been doing that constantly for 23 years now. I probably never said this before, but thanks a lot for that :)
And thanks for being so liberal and a safehouse of my feelings. I have discussed my heartbreaks and breakups with you, and you have always suggested to me the right thing to do (well, it always starts with, focus on your studies first :) ). I had to hardly lie about my personal life, and now I realize, how liberating that has been. The lightness of being free has always given me the wings to fly and I owe every flight of my mind to you.
We always had our moments, either while sitting on that serene beach, or roaming in the colony or some random bench somewhere, when we discussed almost anything from what should I do in life, or how to handle a problem at the home. Those moments have created a great impact on my life. Those moments taught me, that every problem in life can be tackled, simply, over a walk or by talking things out. And that has been the greatest learning of my life. Whenever I am troubled, I just go on a walk, and try to think, how would you solve this problem. And many times, it works as a miracle.
I have so many things to say, but I think this letter won't be enough for all those things. I think we'll talk them over one of the walks we have next time. Till then, I just want to say, thanks a lot for making me the person I am. And thanks a lot for the person who you are. You have always been my hero, and let's hope, someday, I become a person like you and my child writes a similar letter to me :)