My Little Angel

Riya's mother was a little worried. Her 12 year old daughter has started spending more time in front of the computer. Preetham being a good neighbor decided to resolve the issue and visited Riya's place with his wife Seema and two month old baby Prerana. When they arrived, Riya was not at home. But she had kept the system on.

Seema garnered from the files and the programs recently opened that the girl was making some cartoon strips. She laughed when she saw the main character. It was very much like Preetham but with some hair loss and a bigger belly. He sure looked a bit aged. Preetham went a little mad at seeing his cartoon, "Hmm.. She likes to see a fifty year old Aaamir Khan play a college student, but wants to see her thirty plus uncle in his late forties... " Seema was not listening, but was focusing on another character which seemed to be her young baby Prerana in her early teens. Seema smiled, "Riya is imaging you as a parent of a teen girl and this is all her cartoons are about. Nice concept about a worried father of a girl in her teens. An outlook of the future?" Preetham was again furious when he looked at the attire of the teen girl, "Where is the long hair? Where is those traditional dresses? Where is that bindi on the forehead? What is this short hair? What is this tops and jeans? Gosh!"

After reading the introduciton, Seema proceeded to the cartoons. Young Riya had developed some concepts and saved them as separate projects. First project was saved as 'Why We Should read only during the exams' time
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Preetham is advising his young daughter to read and not to rest too much. The charming prerana started giving her dad a sermon, "Dad! The pace of modern life you understand is very wrong. Why should we make every day an ordeal? We should ease into the day. Read novels, watch movies, Have cookies, take walks and put our thoughts together. Actually, students read best only under pressure. Yups, read time would be more miserable, but there would be less of it.. What do you say? Dad! I am rite na"
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Preetham in the cartoon strip laughs, but not the live Preetham. He gets furious and decides to delete the file. But Seema stops her. She found the cartoons a complete time pass

Seema moved on to the second project which was titled, 'Father! Simply the best!'.
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Someone asks Prerana "Who do you love most? Your mother or father"
Prerana was quick in replying, "Oh Course! Father! I love him... the most... when he makes those expressions of concern when I stay out late at night and say 9.00 PM is early evening, When I get up only at 8 AM and go through the morning rituals within fifteen minutes, When I answer him in monosyllables and talk with my friends for hours. When I am with him and a guy stares at me, I love to see his expression"
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Preetham was really getting furious, "Let Riya come. I will show her how my face looks when I am furious"

Seema had already picked up the third one. It was titled, 'Dad - Three-in-One'
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Preetham on his way to office is stopped by his little one. The little one has a question for him, "Dad! Do you want to be a vigilant papa ya supportive papa ya protective papa..." Preetham replied emotionally, "I always will protect you...and keep you as a pearl in an oyster... I will always there to support and guide you so that you may not trip and fall on the crooked paths of life..and I will never let any one cause you harm and will be an Armour and vigilantly watch over you"
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These lines killed all the emotions of anger that had resided in Preetham's heart and tears dropped down his cheeks.
When Riya entered, he was all praise for her and supported her, "Continue your hobby! One day you will become a great cartoonist!" Riya thanked her uncle and also corrected her, "This is not just a hobby. These cartoons will be displayed on the school notice board on a monthly basis. " Preetham didn't like the idea of getting the cartoons based on his future, being displayed on the notice board. But on Seema's instance he remained silent. But Riya gave another shocker, "And this monday, my first one would be published. Along with that cartoon, I would publish this." Preetham read out the scrawl in Riya's hand, "Dedicated to my Neighbor. Preetham Uncle and His daughter.."