As Father’s Day approaches, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 actor Parakh Madan calls her father a man of few words. She shared that his presence was felt not through grand declarations but through a quiet strength that held everything together.
Asked her to describe him in three words, she said, “Resilient, loving and eternal,” and added, “My father was my steady, silent anchor. If there’s one thing I wish I had thanked him for much sooner, it was his quiet, unwavering belief in my unconventional dreams.”
With time, she came to understand that his silence was never an absence. She said, “My father was a man of few words, and I understood the importance of that silence as an adult. I realised that his silence was actually an incredible, deliberate strength. His silence wasn’t an absence of words; it was a steady, protective wall of safety.”
That quiet resilience remains one of the greatest gifts he left behind. She said, “The one quality of his that I strive to carry forward every single day is his indomitable willpower. He taught me, by example, that external circumstances don’t get to define your spirit. Because of him, I’ve learned to view setbacks not as a permanent stop sign but just as a temporary pause to reset and restart.”
The true scale of his sacrifices only became clear over time. “It was more like a slow, quiet realisation that crept up on me as I watched him change over the years,” she said.
“Especially after he started dialysis in 2012, I gradually saw how the shield he had kept up for us all those years began to show its cracks. Seeing a parent go through that process, the gruelling routine, the physical toll, the sheer exhausting repetition of it week after week, changes how you look at everything,” she added.
What followed was a lesson in love, resilience and selflessness. She said, “That five-year stretch was a heartbreaking masterclass in what unconditional love looks like. By the time we lost him in 2017, I didn’t just realise he had made sacrifices for us; I understood that his entire life had been a series of quiet choices to put our well-being above his own comfort, right up until his very last breath.”
Even as illness took its toll, he remained focused on those around him. “My father was an incredible guy. His sacrifices weren’t just in the big things; it was in the quiet dignity he maintained while his body was failing him,” she said.
“It was in the way he would try to hide his exhaustion or muster up a smile and ask about my day, ensuring that the heavy burden of his illness never entirely eclipsed the warmth of our home. Even as his physical strength faded, his resolve to be our anchor never did,” she added.
If she had one chance to speak to him today, she would know exactly what she would say. “Hi Paa,” she said. “I’m doing well, and everyone here is safe. I’m taking care of Maa, just like you always did. I hope you’re finally resting easy and out of all that pain. Love you and miss you loads,” Parakh ended.
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