I lost my father when I was 10. It took a lot of convincing to come to terms with the harsh reality. So, the question of my favourite childhood memory does not arise, as he himself became a cherished memory. I so wish he was physically there with me! Thank you for letting me express my feelings. 

Suradhuni Sengupta, 
BB Ganguly Street

Mending broken toys together, squatting on the verandah for hours. Amidst grumbles, he used to tell me stories from his childhood. And how his eyes sparkled while working with my toys, which he never had. He still is an expert in mending things; then it was broken cars now it’s my heart.

Ankita Sen,
Auxilium Convent School, Dum Dum

My favourite childhood memory with my father is when I suffered a cut on my right knee and received four stitches. My father came to the hospital to take me back home but instead took me to KFC! As I looked at him surprised, he said, “This time KFC. Next time, get a more serious injury and we will go to ITC Sonar!”

Ausmita Mukherjee, 
Aditya Academy Secondary School

I am not that close with my dad. He is always out for work, on business trips. We don’t talk much. It has always been a short conversation with him during dinners. I even hesitated sending him Father’s Day wishes. This Father’s Day I gathered up courage and wished him. When he said, ‘Thank you, beti’, I was so happy. One of my favourite childhood memories with my dad is when we went to Sikkim on vacation. We went out, clicked selfies, ate momos. And got a bit close. I hope to get closer with Dad. I love you, Dad.

Jeena Th  

During Durga Puja, my mother, aunt and everyone used to go the parlour for a makeover and never used to take me. But my father used to put nail polish on me so that I did not feel sad. This is my favourite memory of him.

Ishani Bhattacharjee 

From us cheering for India during the World Cups to him cuddling me all the time, there are lots. Every moment with him is special. My love and respect for him cannot be expressed within 50 words.

Riddhi Das

My favourite childhood memory with my father is going to the Book Fair. As a seven-year-old suburban kid, he introduced me to my first love. Rather than selecting books for me, he gave me a taste of freedom. Shouldering responsibilities now, I owe my independent nature to him.

Anumita Mukherjee, 
St. Xavier’s College

My favourite childhood memory with my father is sitting on the floor and eating luchi and kosha mangsho together every Sunday morning while watching Terminator 2 or Rocky IV and setting aside textbooks for the whole day, which is hardly possible nowadays, because of the demanding schedule of both of us.

Sohini Mukherjee

Every Sunday afternoon, my father used to take me to Chakpara — a slum area — with boxes full of candy, and allowed me to distribute those among the children. The memory of their shining eyes till now fills me with joy. I wish I had those happy days once again with Papa! 

Noureen Haque, Mathurapur

My favourite childhood memory with my father is reading Macbeth together on a rainy day. I was too young then to grasp the drama but my father’s art of storytelling, in tune with the weather, left a deep impression.  

Dipra Sarkhel

My favourite childhood memory with my father is watching The Lion King at Nandan. It was my first experience of the big screen and I was blown away by the sheer magnificence of the visual extravaganza. The film championed the family spirit through the Mustafa-Simba narrative. 

Bedit Banerjee

My favourite childhood memory is going to Victoria Memorial with my father one hot summer afternoon, finding the lawn sprinklers on, and dancing around and getting dripping wet together!

Sampurna Dasgupta,
Class V, La Martiniere for Girls 

My dad is my hero and every moment spent with him is memorable. Favourite childhood memory with my Daddy is when I was about six. Mumma was taking an afternoon nap. Dad came to me and asked for something to eat. Innocent me!!! What could a six-year-old cook for her Daddy? We both went to the kitchen to make sandwiches. Daddy pretended as if he was a proficient cook. But something weird happened... sandwich fillings contained both sugar and salt in equal amount, garnished with cauliflower! It tasted horrible. Disgusting were the sandwiches but funny was the moment.

Ramneek Kaur 

My favourite childhood memory with my father is when in the evenings he used to take me out on a cycle, making me sit in front of him as he pedalled along the Lal Dighi side in Behrampore, Murshidabad. We used to have strolls along the same route too, picking up bakul flowers and then he used to read out poems from Abol Tabol by Sukumar Ray. Being a child of barely two, even though I couldn’t speak clearly, I could recite all the poems by heart. 

Akansha Sarkar

It’s like opening a floodgate of memories! Almost every evening I used to ride piggyback on him when he returned from office and inevitably he had to read all my absurd scribbles (letters) addressed to him. I still remember those non-verbal expressions in his glistening eyes.

Insha Tahseen, 
Adamas International School 

My favourite childhood memory with my father is his role as my ‘personal hairdresser’. As a little girl, I never visited the salon. He gave me the classic fringe hairstyle, which I sport to this day. It is a memory I want to cherish forever. 

Sonia Burh

My favourite childhood memory with my father is sitting beside him, handing him tiny nails and screws, as with the nimble fingers of a gold-medallist in surgery, he sawed, hammered and painted, transforming plywood and plastic before my awed, six-year-old eyes into a doll’s house for me.

Nandita Sinha, 
Lake Gardens

My dad is very skilled. When I  was in Class III, once I got a maths project to make a balance. My dad made it for me. My project was chosen the best. Then, after nine years, when I was in Class XII, one day I saw that same balance in a teacher’s hand, who was carrying it to teach primary students about it. Seeing that made me proud of my dad and brought tears to my eyes. That balance will probably perish one day, but the memory will last forever. I thank Dad for being the reason of my success always. 

Imamah Ali, Rajabazar 

My favourite childhood memory with my father is from when he used to get home from chamber at night and I’d pretend to be asleep, my fantasy-filled intention being to surprise him by jumping out all of a sudden! And I succeeded. Now I realise, although he very well knew I was just pretending, he put up with my act anyway. I now know the reason. That’s what fathers do, they put up with us — no matter what. 

Adrija Dutta,
Calcutta Girls’ High School

My favourite childhood memory with my father is late-night study with him before Board exams. With utmost care and patience, he assisted me as long as I studied and boosted my confidence all the more. 

Dip Sarkhel

When my Daddy and I used to go to the bazaar every Sunday to buy chicken. I also remember the time when he became overprotective and took me in his arms when I fell down while chasing my puppy. He was acting like a maniac to get me first-aid, it seemed he was hurt, not me. Sometimes I feel like going back in time, not to change anything but to feel some things twice.

Joyita Ghosh, DPS Megacity

When my father gifted me a beautiful cycle on my birthday and the very next day we went to a field where I mounted the cycle and rode it, assured that he was holding me, but when I turned, I realised I was riding alone as he stood far away, smiling.

Anushka Ghosh, Class IX, 
St. Xavier’s School, Burdwan 

I remember when I was a kid my father was riding a bike and a man was pushing his own bike. All passers-by turned a deaf ear and my father was the only one who gave him a helping hand. He took out a small bottle of diesel and a pipe and gave it to him. I learnt a simple lesson of life — kindness. According to me, my father is not a superhero but a human being with a super heart.

Farhat Parveen, 
Rani Birla Girls’ College

My favourite childhood memory with my father is of the time when he was not being ONLY father but mother, sibling and partner-in-crime to a five-year-old. Mom was in hospital. The daily dose of sheddo bhaat+dim, sitting on a cloth-stuffed toy horse... and the bonding that developed between us animates and the inanimate horse is a treasure trove of delights!

Anumeha Saha,
Baishnabghata-Patuli Township  

My favourite childhood memory with my father is when he used to put me on his back and play ghora-ghora! Or when he used to put me up on his feet and lean back on a support... I used to fly high! And not to forget when he taught me how to ride the bicycle. Nothing on earth can be better than these little memories of childhood. These are going to be there with me for a lifetime.

Bipasha Roy  

In the second standard, when I wanted a kids’ piano, my father searched many shops for five hours but in vain. I lost hope but my Papa didn’t. We found one. I looked at him and found no tiredness, only happiness. I smiled, less for the piano and more for Papa.

Abhinav Kumar Dubey, Ranchi 

My father worked in the RPF and hence didn’t have any Sundays or holidays. On days when he was off-duty, he used to take me to school on his bicycle and I used sit on the cycle’s carrier. Best rides of my life!

Pritha Biswas, Alipurduar 

When on weekends my dad and I would go exploring and feed the animals on his farm, and he would give me piggyback rides. He would also teach me things about his business.

Bharati Das

My favourite childhood memory with my father is his practical way of teaching me English. He used to bring home from office stale editions of The Statesman for dictation by me to hone his stenography skill, and in the process inculcate in me the love for this beautiful language. Thank you, my nonagenarian Baba.

Buddha Deb Chattopadhyay, 
West Burdwan

My favourite childhood memory with my father is from when I was four. I did a little mischief and my Papa thumped me a little on my back. I felt hurt and stood motionless in the corner of my room. My Papa felt my grief and hugged me tight. I forgot all my sorrow instantly.

Buddhapriya Biswas, Kendriya Vidyalaya Ordnance Factory 

My favourite childhood memory with my father is when he hoisted me up in the air during a boat ride at Khadakwasla, near Pune, and in spite of being seven, I was not afraid but giggled, carefree with joy, because nothing could happen when I was in his safe arms.

Divya Momin 

The moments when my father took me to the nearby primary school of our village. The best part during the 15-minute walk was how he helped me revise all the lessons given by my teacher in such a lucid style that I was ready with my studies within a few minutes. Sometimes he told me stories of the village and its people. So, whenever I go to my village, the nostalgia of that time still gives me constant joy. 

Joyashri Sarkar

Memories are like wine. The older it grows, the more passionate it becomes. Though in my childhood I didn’t get the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my father, the weekends when my father came home with lots of chocolates and gifts are the most memorable. The stories of various countries and various people he used to tell me still take me back to those days. My father taught me to love the garden and to maintain it. So, I loved weekends more than my father, because weekends brought father to me.

Soumendu Bag

My favourite childhood memory with my father is the experience of passing through the dark, narrow  Mawsmai Cave, where he constantly encouraged me, held my hand tight and kept me busy with words. It was adventurous and I loved it. It would never have been possible without my dear Babam.

Tamoghna Mookherjee, Class VII, Adamas International School

My favourite childhood memory with my father is of him play-massaging my back after bath. He would spray a little kiddie cologne and do light clapping and topping on my back, arms and legs.

Subhas Chandra Das  

My favourite childhood memory with my father is that I don’t have just one! I may be old and wrinkly one day, but I will always feel protected and happy and like a kid with my Abba. Playing One Direction songs on his guitar, letting me play ghoda-ghoda on his back... every moment spent with him is childhood bliss.

Tannaz Mahreen

My favourite childhood memory with my father is when we used to go camping on the beach and he would go spear fishing and come back with his catch and say, ‘Look what I caught for you!’ He would cook it on the grill with veggies. It made me feel so special.

Tithi Guha Das

My favourite childhood memory with my father is how he used to carry me every night in a sleepy state to the bedroom and place me on the bed gently so as not to wake me up. Even on the last day of his life he didn’t miss it. Today, when he’s not around, these memories become treasures of a lifetime. No one could love me as deeply and unconditionally as you did, Dad.

Ritushree Das, Siliguri

My favourite childhood memory with my father is when he became a hero in my eyes. One evening my family was ascending a hill when a herd of descending cattle surrounded us. One huge bull tried to gore my mother but my father grappled with its horns until it ran away.

Alpana Ghosh, Sinthee 

My favourite childhood memory with my father is travelling to New Delhi in an aeroplane. I stepped on a flight for the first time in Class I, holding my father’s big hand with long fingers with my small hand with tiny fingers, that too without my mother. It was a heavenly experience, from clutching my father’s arm when the flight took off to the panic when I had earache or when my stomach felt empty. Thanks Papa, for being my companion on that adventure.

Hiya Anupam, Army Public School Narangi, Guwahati 

I have been my Daddy’s little princess. I am sure other girls are also their fathers’ princesses. Every memory with my dad is memorable. On my 16th birthday, my dad brought me a dress and it was just double my size! My dad can’t shop at all but still he tried his best and got my favourite dress. I love my dad for it. He is the best father in the whole world. 

Pamela Rana

My favourite childhood memory of my father is that he was the most lenient and patient person. A teacher by profession, he never scolded my younger brother or me for the mistakes we made. Rather he took out time to explain the correct ways of doing things. I owe my success to my father.

Kaveri Mishra, Ranchi

My favourite childhood memory with my father is the time when he would come back from office and lift me in his arms, and I would ask him in my babyish language why he left me in the morning. No wonder we were creating memories to be cherished later on!

Shayeri Bhattacharyya, Gokhale Memorial Girls’ School

I was seven. My teacher father, who rarely gets time to spend with me, was there to teach me to ride a bicycle. He said, ‘You have to keep your balance and must keep moving. Life is  just like that’. Whenever I toppled and fell, he was there to pull me up and make me face the problem with confidence. He taught me to try until my last breath. Thank you Baba, for teaching me the most important lesson in life. This memory is like a treasure to me.

Pritikana Chakraborty

My favourite childhood memory with my father is from an adventure at Khopoli, a little Western Ghat town, proudly hosting the Zenith falls. The hills near my uncle’s home were fairly forested and my dad and I went to visit one of them while everyone was napping. After walking and learning about plants for half an hour, we came across an old, discoloured signboard that said, “Beware of leopards”. I was scared, but we kept walking. After a while, we met a few local people coming downhill. They told us not to go further as daylight was fading, and the time for leopards and other nocturnal animals to roam about was drawing near. I tugged on my dad’s shirt, and we started to descend. Then, we heard a distant roar. I was a bit shaken, but I knew that I had my dad with me, and he was my superhero. Within an hour we reached my uncle’s place, where everyone seemed worried about our whereabouts. That day became my best childhood memory as for the first time in my eight-year life I heard a wild beast’s roar and was not at all frightened — all because of my dad.

Nirajana Mukhopadhyay 

When I was in Class VII, the whole of Mom’s family went to Udaipur. And those two-and-half days were like freedom of existence for daughter and father! He woke me up for school, it was so cute the way he asked me to get up, not barking at me. Then he made half-burnt bread and butter for my tiffin... I knew they were burnt and tasteless but the love and care he poured into making them made all the difference. When I returned home we both made khichuri and fries and they were amazing! Dinner was fat chapatis and aloo-gobi subzi ....it was fun and amazing. Dad, you are the best.

Soumili Maji 

My favourite childhood memory with my father is watching animated movies and cartoons on television together. During a holiday, he would voluntarily accompany me and enjoy watching the caricatures scurrying across the screen. He would transform into a kid himself, laughing to his heart’s content. We eventually created a special memory over every show watched together. 

Koyesha Mukherjee, Jamshedpur

My favourite childhood memory with my father is when he taught me how to tie my shoelaces.

Rahul Pareek

My favourite childhood memory with my father is of pandal-hopping during Durga Puja. I loved the gorgeous idols, and my father seemed tireless in taking me from one pandal to the other. In the dead of night, when everyone would fall asleep, I would cling to my father as he took me from a baroari pujo to a barir pujo. Unfortunately, I have lost him. But he will remain in my memory forever. No matter how great a prince I find, he will always be my KING!

Rohini Kundu  

Sitting out on chilly winter nights and making aloo pora. It was something unusual but we both loved it. Using the flower pots we would light up a fire with twigs and wood and put potatoes directly into the flame. After 45 minutes of warming (ourselves too) we would take the potatoes out and peel them partially and make a mash adding salt, red chilli powder and green chillies. It was yummy... I miss doing this, as I stay busy with my studies and he with his office. Anyway, it turned out awesome always. I can feel the taste even now.

Akansha Biswas 

My favourite childhood memory with my father are the random bus rides we took. On reaching the bus stop we took the first bus we felt like hopping on to and got down at its last stop. Then we explored all the way back home. 

Arkaja Giri

My favourite childhood memory with my father is going around Calcutta every Sunday evening. From Victoria Memorial to riding phaeton carriages, Outram Ghat to tea and sandwiches at Flurys, this Sunday ritual with my father is my earliest memory of falling in love with Calcutta. He taught me to explore places.

Prapti Chowdhury

My favourite childhood memory with my father is trying to make tea for guests by boiling black cumin seeds for more than half an hour and not understanding why the colour would not change, until Ma came to our rescue!

Sumika Kanjilal, Tollygunge

My favourite childhood memory with my father is every little moment with him till date, be it a surprise on my birthday or a small fight over a petty thing; after all DADs are the first-ever best friend in a daughter’s life. Hence, every part of a father-daughter relationship has heart-warming anecdotes full of nostalgia.

Sayanti Naskar

My favourite childhood memory with my father is from when I was around 10. Ma was working on a project which took up even her Sundays and I was very sad. So, on one such particularly gloomy Sunday, my ayah mashi started readying me to go out, much to my surprise. Baba was taking me out for lunch! I remember riding up the yellowy magic of Park Street in a cab, I felt like a princess that day. We ate at Peiping — a quaint, old-world restaurant with clinking glasses and soft conversation, which has sadly been replaced by an impersonal glass-facade something today. I guess that’s how it is, these childhood afternoons are like fragrances from a world gone by, and memory is the bottle where a whiff may linger, now and then.

Urvashi Mukherjee 

My favourite childhood memory with my father is when my father bought ice cream for me. It may seem a very normal incident for many but for me it was the first time that my father had bought anything I wanted to eat. When I cleared the entrance examination to one of the most prestigious schools in our district, I was happy to see my father’s proud face. After seeing my name on the list, he asked me if I wanted to have ice cream. I nodded. I saw his eyes gleaming. He insisted I have more and more. I was reluctant because I knew he could not afford many ice creams. But he didn’t listen. With a very happy and different tone than what I was used to, he made me eat as much as I wanted. I don’t know why, but I started sobbing... maybe because I was craving the love and affection of my father. It was and is the happiest moment of my life. 

Dheeraj Kumar
When Amma used to visit Nani’s place, Daddy, Khushi and I used to prepare a What-all-we-can-make-so-that-it-doesn’t-get-repeated list and used to cook together, but none of us knew how to cook! The uncooked egg curry and rice has to be my favourite. 

Harsha Bhushan

The date was October 10, 2013, Sashthi. I spent that whole day with Baba buying some gifts and spending some fun “us time”. I was not used to spending quality time with my Baba, so that whole day of fun and frolic buying gifts, bargaining and having a big, fat lunch at Aminia while discussing favourite topics like cars, bikes and dogs, is one of the most indelible days of my childhood.

Koushani Gupta  
When we were in Puri playing in the sea, I had gone too far into the water by mistake. My father swam to get me back to the shore and a wave crashed in his left ear... and he suffers from Meniere’s disease! For the world he is my father but for me, he is the world.

Chetana Saha, The BSS School

My favourite childhood memory of my father is the frequent picnics by the river Teesta at Kalijhora. We used to clamber into the Ambassador with a lot of food and have the most wonderful picnic. Bathing in the stream, playing in the sand, then returning home, tired and quiet.

Mamta Sethia, Siliguri 

When he attempted to tie my hair to get me ready for school. I loved how his unsure hands tied the braids into something that came close to unkempt hair! The smile and confidence on his face after he created something so untidy was priceless.
Sudarshana Dasgupta, 

Park Side Road 

My favourite childhood memory with my father is of kite-flying. Seeing Dad whistling and screaming with joy, reliving his childhood with mine, I felt a lump in my throat. My heart still longs for those days gone by!

Sankhadip Kumar Nag, Jharkhand  

My favourite childhood memory with my father is from when I was a primary school boy in Calcutta in the ’60s. I used to play carrom in the evenings with him, which, on New Year’s Eve, continued with the accompaniment of oranges, till it was New Year! And then we went to bed.

K.K. Mukherjee, 
Raja Rammohan Road 

My favourite childhood memory with my father is the family trips twice a year during vacations, exploring new places with Mom and Dad.

Sreya Chakraborty, Department of Law, University of Calcutta

In my childhood, my father never spared an opportunity to tease me. I would get angry with him and as punishment he would have to learn Bharatanatyam from me. When he showed me those steps, I would dissolve into fits of laughter and forget all my anger. 

Sharanya Chakraborty

My favourite childhood memory with my father is the first visit to a library, actually before I even started school. I sat on my father’s lap as he turned pages of knowledge before me. We borrowed a book with a sad story of a dog separated from her pups. Since then, books have continued to ignite my imagination and life.

Farida B. Jyrwa

My favourite childhood memory with my father is our very rare outings during Durga Puja. Since both my parents are working, they always made sure to spend the vacations with me and on Puja days, my father would take me pandal-hopping, holding my hand. The day would end in a good mishtir dokan where I stuffed my tummy with all my favourite sweets.

Dishani Banerjee

My favourite childhood memory with my father is when I was frightened during a horse ride to Kufri in Himachal Pradesh and my father firmly held me close to him on horseback. I still rejoice at the memory of that delightful experience.

Ritwika Mukherjee, 
Methodist School 

My favourite childhood memory with my father would be watching numerous cricket and football matches on television. The memories of the nail-biting moments from ICC World Cup 2003 and FIFA World Cup 2006 are etched in my mind, although I was too young to understand sports. I still get to hear that only a handful of girls love watching football or cricket and I feel content to be included in that list, courtesy, of course, my dear Daddy. 

Adrija Ghosh

Though there are childhood memories in abundance, I would like to pen a special one. Some 10-12 years ago, my cousin went to a dentist and was advised to have an ice cream after getting a tooth extracted. Though I’m an ice cream lover, I was advised to have minimum cold beverages and desserts due to a tonsil problem. My father was strict with health issues and I knew that whatever happened, he would not buy me an ice cream. So when he came back with the ice cream packets in hand, I had assumed there was nothing for me. My father gave an ice cream to my cousin. And surprisingly, he kept an ice cream in front of me! That was an unexpected feeling. Though he knew it was not good for me, my desires and wishes came first!

Anwesha Chakraborty

When I was very little, about four or five, our family’s primary mode of transport was my dad’s motorcycle. I would sit in front. So whenever we rode down narrow lanes, there would be a lot of dust and smoke from vehicles coming from the opposite side. My father would lightly cover my nose and mouth with his hand to protect me whenever this happened. This memory makes me feel safe and protected, makes me want to be a child again, just so I can be taken care of by somebody. 

Debsarathi Sen 

My favourite childhood memory with my father is that moment on the day of results when he gave a pat on my shoulder and said, “Shabaash beta!” I had scored 95 per cent in my term examination and my dad’s eyes were sparkling with pride and faith in his daughter.

Supriya Patel, Patna

My favourite childhood memory with my father is when I was learning to ride a bicycle and my father was holding me whenever I was going to fall. I don’t have any single favourite memory with my father. There are lots of favourite memories. I love you, Papa!

Aniket Shaw

My favourite childhood memory with my father is when my father used to take me to school on his bicycle. On the way, he used to buy two freshly made sandesh daily, without which my tiffin was never complete (despite having enough food in the box cooked by my mother).

Munmun Kundu, 
New Town

You are my heart and soul. When I have to pick my most favourite memory, so many come up! I can never forget the day when you protected me from the huge waves in the Puri sea, or when you rubbed my knees while playing and when you boasted about my marks or when your heart was filled with pride at me becoming a mere class captain. You get satisfied with so little. I remember you telling me that I could do better in maths, and be a better human, avoiding enmity. These are not memories but memoirs and you are not just a dad but a darling. Love you, Dad!

Nayanika Singha Chowdhury,                                                                                                                                             Auxilium Convent Dum Dum

Walking along the terrace, our fingers intertwined, watching the sunset, discussing books, films, music and how sorely we missed each other. The long distance, which hours of Skype conversation could never bridge, as my father had then been working in Dubai. Those walks which ended in a hug were what I looked forward to the most when he was home.

Oyeshi Ganguly, Our Lady Queen of the Missions School 

When he gave me a treat for having failed my maths exam in Class III. It was something I could never have envisaged! He has always believed more in leading a happy life than a successful one. He has overlooked everything except my triumph over my difficulties, which makes him the best father in the world. 

Prajna Sinha, 
Pearls of God School

My favourite childhood memory with my father is when he used to irritate me by initiating a fight, enduring all my beatings, teaching me to defend myself and knowingly losing. Little did I realise then that this lesson would help me in future to fight off evil and save myself.

Sunandita Kundu