'Thank you Baba for these thoughtful gifts'

We asked you, dear readers to tell us about the most thoughtful gift you ever received. 

Milon Sanyal, 69, writes about the books his Baba gifted him. You can share yours too!

Memory takes me around 50 to 55 years back. I was studying at St Lawrence High School, Ballygunge, Kolkata.

Music was in my blood; my mother was a sitarist, my eldest sister was a vocalist and my other sister was a dancer.

We had a music school, run by my mother and other professionals.

Everyone at home wanted me to learn the tabla (a percussion instrument) which I did not like, much to the surprise and chagrin of all in the family. I wanted to learn to play the Spanish guitar.

One of my seniors was a very good player of the guitar. Every time he played somewhere, I was awestruck, mesmerised and would start dreaming about being a top class guitar player and sing along with him.

He noticed my interest and told me, 'I can teach you free of cost. But you need to have a Spanish guitar of your own to practice at home. The simple one will cost around 100 rupees. Buy it and then tell me.'

With hope in my eyes, I told my Baba to give me 100 rupees, so that I could buy a guitar and learn.

He heard me out and then called my Jamaibabu (brother-in-law), gave him 100 rupees and told him to go immediately and buy the best Oxford English Dictionary and a Wren & Martin's English Grammar & Composition Book, costing around 100 rupees in total those days.

Yeah, I certainly felt very sad, upset, bad and cried. 

Looking back, I feel that those are the 'most thoughtful gifts' I received in my life.

Whatever English I know (be it spelling, grammar, vocabulary, etc.), oral or writing skills, it's all because of these 'thoughtful gifts' from my Baba, and definitely supplemented by Rev Fr Vetticad at my alma mater, St Lawrence High School.

This (incident) has left an indelible mark in my life.

Years passed by, life continued, I became an engineer, MBA from a top b-school and I now lead a professional life at Tata Steel.

Thank you Baba for these 'most thoughtful gifts'. 

We ask you, dear readers, to tell us about a thoughtful gift you received. It doesn't need to be expensive, big and elaborate. It can just be a simple yet thoughtful gift.

Write to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (subject line: Most Thoughtful Gift) along with your NAME, AGE and the place where you LIVE. Don't forget to include a photograph of the gift if possible.

We will publish the best entries on Rediff.com and India Abroad.