As already revealed Chawlas already had two daughters and one son. They yearned for the fourth one to be a son as the father thought that his expanding enterprises would need at least two sons to carry them forward and further expand into an industrial empire. Then, industry was the only field a common ambitious person could rise in through business sense, toil and good luck. The fields of education, science, sports, media and services were distant dreams.
The news of the fourth child being a female reached Banarsidas at his work station. It dismayed him. The family could invest little dreams in a girl child who would just grow up into marriageable age and the parents would marry her off as a bland ritual. That was the orthodox mindset. The people around him looked so put off by the news as if they wished to express sympathies to him and might hold a condolence meeting after he would be gone home. That was how society’s outlook towards the girl offsprings were.
Banarsidas reached home in glum mood. His wife knew that both of them wished for a male child, so called bringer of the beacon home. She was sorry for being a disappointment to her husband without being guilty. The wife timidly watched her husband approach not knowing how he would express his dejection. No words were exchanged except mirthless smiles.
The father picked up the newborn baby girl. The natural parental love dissolved the gloom and the social prejudices. A broad smile lit up the father’s face as he kissed his newborn. In great relief, the mother closed her eyes as their other children squealed in delight. There, no more was any sadness. The parents were reconciled to the wish of the fate and the child was welcome to the family.
As usual the youngest one became the delight of the household. The sisters, brother and parents doted on her. On an impulse Banarsidas decided to call his youngest child ‘Kalpana’ which literally meant ‘Imagination’. May be, she was symbolic of his own dreams coming true. The three earlier children, Sunita, Deepa and Sanjay were born in the rental house situated in Sarrafa Bazaar of Karnal. As the endeavours of Banarsidas flourished, he constructed his own fine house in the town’s upper echelon habitat ‘Model Town’, a symbol of his own success. Kalpana alone was born in that kothi.
The father for some reason started calling his youngest daughter ‘Monto’ affectionately. After a hard day’s work he found great relief in playing with his Monto when he returned home. There was no trace of the initial empathy. The father and the child would have great exchange of prattle. Monto turned out to be a very curious child. When she began her intelligible talk she pestered everyone with inquisitive questions.
Most of her questions were related to the sky, winged creatures, flying craft and the heavenly bodies.
Meanwhile, Banarsidas too had not given up his habit of spreading his wings. He was now fed up with trunk and boxes business. He wanted to try his luck in more grand and adventurous business, a step into the big time industry.
He chose to set up a tyre manufacturing unit. It was a risky affair. Then, only the imported tyres were in use or the ones manufactured by the foreign tyre companies. So, the quality competition was tough, more so for a local manufacturer with comparatively limited resources and technical know-how. ‘Super Tyre’ was the brand name Banarsidas chose for his company and the product. He, now better known as B.D. Chawla, invested all the money he had. That multiplied the risk factor.
He used all his skill and endeavour to make his project viable. It was a tough going. At one stage it looked as if Super Tyre would prove a non-starter and entire investment would be lost. It was a frightening prospect. But B.D. Chawla did not give up and worked with a single minded devotion to save his enterprise. It brought him rewards in the form of his product gaining acceptance in the market. B.D. Chawla was again riding the wave of success.
Little Monto was now learning letters at home equipped with primer, exercise book, pencil and pen. What fascinated her in the primer was the pictures of birds and the flying crafts. The old superstitious ladies of the relation would wonder if little Monto had been a bird in her previous life.
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