The Perfect Gift - A Pension Plan

My World - My Family!!

Everyone has a hero, an idol they follow and get inspired from. Someone who is their pillar of strength. For me, these roles were played by my father, my go-to person.

And this is his story!

With our fathers around, how often do we care to think about managing the little things in life, be it buying the necessities like ‘roti, kapda, and makaan’ or fulfilling the cravings for an exotic dish? I am sure your answer is the same as mine; almost never. Fathers take up different roles and responsibilities throughout their lives, and regardless of the situation, they give their best shot when it comes to providing for their families and protecting them from hardships.

My father was no different; for materialistic requirements or moral support, he was just a call away. But wait, let’s take a step back and rewind a little bit to know who my father, Mr. Anurag Sharma, is.

Born to a farmer in a small village, papa struggled to complete his education and did part-time jobs to support his family financially. To strengthen his career and explore new opportunities, he decided to leave the village and move to a city where he completed his education. That’s where he found my mother, whom he fell in love with and got married to at an early age. He then settled in Indore to start a new life and earn enough to provide for his new family.

After my younger sister, Ruchika, was born, papa knew his family was now complete. But with that, he also realized that he had additional responsibilities to fulfill. Regardless of the financial constraints he faced as the single earning member, papa made sure Ruchika and I never felt the heat.

Today Ruchika is following papa’s footsteps in building her future in Finance, while I am a 38 years old, proud business owner, all thanks to papa. Papa knew I could not enjoy a corporate work life of sticking to a laptop screen from 9-5. Papa and Maa always supported our dreams, and he proved it right when he invested all his savings in helping me set up my startup.

Fortunately, things went well, my business flourished, and now papa manages my finances. While dad ensured our daily needs were met, maa stood by him as his strongest support system.

This was no surprise to anyone among our family and friends that papa had an unconditional love for food. Ruchika and I always made fun of him, saying if he had an option, he would have been a food critic rather than handling accounts and managing funds because when he is not working, he is cooking and enjoying the yummiest dishes from across the world.

Since Papa spent a fair share of his life making ends meet, his primary goal was to ensure that our family had all that we desired, especially when it came to any dreams and wishes Ruchika and I ever shared. His ideal life was to be happy and enjoy a long, simple life with Maa after his retirement, but one thing he couldn’t let go of since his teenage days was his love for food. We have often seen him telling us while watching Masterchef episodes on the TV, “Beta, someday after my retirement, I will learn to cook brilliant Italian dishes from the local chefs.”

That was the moment I decided to make his dream come true just like he did for mine. And luckily, I found the right opportunity as well. On his 50th birthday, I bought him the perfect gift for his retirement.

What were Akshay and Ruchika planning for their father’s retirement? Did Mr. Sharma like his retirement present? Continue reading to find the answer!