Rinchen Tshering Yolmo

First look at the guy, and you would not know what the real man beneath the 25 yrs old body, 'garden-variety' north-eastern looks, is like.

Rinchen is the typical 'boy-next -door' types, jaunty, unassuming, cute and fun to be with. The guy can make you convulse with laughter with his antics and blithe Hindi (he seriously needs coaching in Hindi!). Five minutes with him, and you'll know what i am talking about.

But, This is not about Rinchen, 'The Jester', this about Rinchen, 'The Enigma'.

I came to know during my early days with him, that this typical 'cancerian' friend and colleague of mine has a daughter. An adopted daughter.

my dear friend has a back problem, apparently due to some mishap some years ago. The fateful accident left him with an extant pain in his lower back and a child. A girl child which was abandoned on the bed next to his in a hospital. He brought her home, his parents offered to adopt that little girl, but in vain. He had his mind all made up. He knew that he is going to be her father. Rinchen went on with the legalities of adopting a child at a tender age and made himself the child's father. He works to support his child and himself. The little girl lives with her grandparents in the beautiful state of Sikkim.

I cried the day i came to know about this... emotional fool that i am...

We all know about the sexual discrimination in our country, what we dont know is that there are people like my parents who never regretted having a son. I know people in MY FAMILY, who cry when a daughter is born to them (And i am not talking about ages ago, its pretty recent!) and i know people like Rinchen, who go forward and take care of somebody else's daughter. How many of us have guts to do so? And, I am talking about us, the normal people, not the celebrities like Sushmita Sen.

This is my ode (with no rhythm and rhyme of course!) to the Man behind 'The Jester' Rinchen Tshering Yolmo. Who is strong, unyielding, ethical and respectable. I am proud to know you.