RishNova Story Universe
Reflective Personal Essay
Inspirational Memoir
Papa Has Always Been My Hero
Papa Has Always Been My Hero
"Some heroes wear capes. Mine simply answered to the name ‘Papa.’"
Japanese people believe in three powers — first is the sword, second is the gem (i.e. money), and third is the mirror, which signifies enlightenment. It is said that if the thinking is right, the destination is easily reached. Someone has beautifully written that “Jaisa dard, waisa manzar; mausam apne andar hota hai” (whatever the pain, so is the scene; the weather is within yourself). The depths within me are connected to the lines of a friend of mine, which is also the title of this story — "Papa Has Always Been My Hero."
One day, in anger, I told my father, “What have you done for me?” Papa did not answer — he just kept looking at me with tear-filled eyes, and that left a mark in my heart forever. It is up to us which colour of glasses we wear to see the weather; otherwise, never ask about the weather from those who work tirelessly in cold, heat, day, and night. Schools teach us to be employees, but fathers always prepare us to be employers.
It starts from the very moment when you go from your father’s lap towards the sky for the first time — that height is the greatest height of life. I have inherited the habit of not saying much from my father, and I have learned the habit of telling everything from a friend. Only when a person looks at himself in the mirror does he come to know the truth. Can you lie to yourself by looking in the mirror? Maybe that’s why my father is like the mirror — the greatest of the three Japanese powers. He is my first chapter in every principle of life.
Reading the mind in the language of the heart and explaining the matters of the mind to the heart — perhaps this is enlightenment. Whenever people think from the heart, the matters of the mind start seeming wrong, and the decisions taken from the mind start hurting the heart.
Since childhood, father used to say only one thing — “Learn to be strong.” I would feel very bad when, on my first day at a new school, I had spent the day crying among unknown children, and he kept repeating the same line — “Learn to be strong.” How can I forget how he would stay awake the whole night when I sneezed, and how, like a magician, my every wish was in the pocket of his kurta? From here, I learned the first principle of life — when to harden the heart and listen to the mind, and when to listen to the heart and let go of the mind. From childhood till his last breath, no one can be a better investor than a father whose biggest asset is you.
One thing comes to mind — people often ask me about my hair. There’s a small reason for this, which keeps me close to my father. It’s true that Papa doesn’t express much in words, but every time he looks at my short hair and says, “Keep your hair like this,” his love and care are reflected in those few words. Like a shadow, my father is my biggest hero, without whom my enlightenment can never be complete.
It’s true that if we want to reach a destination, we must travel in that direction and face the difficulties — only then can we get there. Time changes, people change, and it is necessary for them to change because only through such changes are new rules of life formed and thinking gets a new direction.
Papa helps me the most in changing myself — he never tried to stop me. There is a saying in the stock market: You are not a slave to the property; the property is your slave. An investor who makes his son his boss — that’s what a father is. He once told me, “It’s okay if you stop, but your thinking should not stop.” At that time, I couldn’t understand this, but today I see its value — as powerful as a sword — because if thinking stops, life stops.
It’s true that there are many turning points in life — moments where we feel pushed or stumble. At those times, we wonder, Why is this happening to me? But if we look carefully, life is telling us through that jolt, “Wake up! I want to teach you something.” No one teaches you in life through lectures or speeches — you have to go through those phases yourself, face difficulties, find your own path, and then life will teach you a lesson that makes you a better person.
We often don’t understand these big truths; we only understand the language of money. So the next link is from Japan’s third power — the gem, i.e., money. Those who have money make the rules, and the poor follow those rules — you must have heard this from many people. What is it that the rich keep getting richer and the poor poorer? How should the perspective of people working for money change?
For this, it’s important to know that money is not something you should work for — your money should work for you 24 hours a day. One day, I had an argument with my father over money. He said something small but meaningful — that I should focus on studies, not money. He was right, but with time, the day came when I had to work for money in the future. Working doesn’t only mean running after money; it means ensuring your money works for you.
What’s the difference between a rich and a poor person? The rich are rich in mind — in thinking — not just in money. Money may be here today and gone tomorrow, but the person who is rich in thought, who knows how to handle and grow money, can never be poor. Some time ago, I found it difficult to express my heart in words, but today I can play with words — thanks to the friend who taught me to speak, and to my Papa.
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The greatest inheritance a father gives is not wealth but wisdom—the strength to think right, stand strong, and build a life where your mind, heart, and actions lead you to your true destination. – Rishabh Bhatt
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Memoir SOURCE
This Memoir is adapted from “Incompleteness At Every Turn”
"Incompleteness At Every Turn" is a book about life’s unfinished stories, deep feelings, and the beauty of being imperfect. Instead of happy fairy-tale endings, it shows real life—moments of love, loss, hope, and healing that do not always have a perfect answer. Written in a simple yet touching way, the author shows that it is okay to feel incomplete. In fact, our incomplete parts are what help us grow, learn, and keep moving forward every day.
