Tuhin Sinha - Daddy

‘Excellent read! Absolutely unputdownable for new and expecting dads! Would have been even better had this been around when my son Archit was born!’

—Abhishek Srivastava

‘A riveting, heart-rending, responsible and flawless depiction of a father-son relationship. Strongly recommended as a must-read for parents, especially fathers.’

—Anant Ganesh

‘Fatherhood is this biggest joy and this book will make your journey through parenthood seamless and fun.’

—Asad Lalljee

‘A book that brings out the male perspective on child-birth was long needed. Daddy is a brilliant and very useful read.’

—Debashis Das

‘A must-read for all modern-day parents. Tuhin has put his heart and soul in consolidating his experiences.’

—Rajan Gupta

‘Finally, a book about, for, and by the modern, urban, Indian father—an oft-neglected demographic.’

—Roopak Saluja

‘A practical handbook with emotional connect makes it a unique read.’

—Roshan Kanal

‘It’s a must read for the younger generation to realise what all their dads did for them…It will help kids reconnect to their dad’s with a fresher outlook.’

—Shobhit Jaiswal

‘The book is a must-read for every dad-to-be, particularly in a world where nuclear families have become the norm. With no support from grannies and uncles, it becomes even more imperative that the husband equally helps his wife in nurturing the kids.’

—Zahid H Javali

TUHIN A. SINHAis among the best-selling authors in India, a columnist and a screenwriter.

Tuhin is acknowledged among the most prolific Indian writers with a maverick knack to experiment with new genres. While his first book, That Thing Called Love (2006) was an offbeat romance, The Captain (2008) was a cricket thriller that explored the underbelly of modern cricket. Of Love And Politics (2010) was a political thriller. His fourth and fifth books The Edge of Desire (2012) and its sequel, The Edge of Power (2013) can be called socio-political thrillers with a strong feminist skew.

Daddy is Tuhin’s sixth book and his first non-fiction narrative.

Tuhin is also a screenwriter of several popular TV shows, the most noteworthy being Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star Plus.

Apart from his fiction novels and scripts, Tuhin is a keen political observer. His columns on Indian politics appear regularly in India’s leading dailies. Tuhin has a regular blog on ibnlive.com. He also appears frequently on news channels on discussions around politics and cricket.

At present, apart from working on two other books, Tuhin is a consultant with Reliance Broadcast, in- charge of new programming initiatives for their TV channel, Big Magic.

Tuhin is a doting Dad who has often bunked work to steal additional time with his son. He is not a bad husband either.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For

Neev Tanish,

you’ve gifted me the most pristine experience on earth

Daddy,

whose virtues and values I carry today as a father

Ramy,

for bringing Neev into the world

Mamma,

for being the most wonderful mother

And for every passionate and evolving Dad who redefines the parent-progeny relationship with a new meaning.

There aren’t many instances in your professional life when you instinctively derive the courage to swerve away from conventional commercial considerations and do what you believe in. In that situation it is equally an arduous task to find the right person who believes in what you believe in. Thank you Amrita Verma Chowdhury for the strength of your conviction. Thank you for your indefatigable efforts and initiative in nurturing the book and making it happen in its present form. As a publisher, you have been exceptional.

Thank you, Mohini Chaudhuri for your being so patient and relentless through the editing process. This was not an easy book to edit and your contribution to the book stands out.

This book would not have happened without the sporting participation of ten young fathers who eagerly took queries, some of a personal nature, and with whose inputs I was able to bring forth more perspectives for the readers. Thank you, Abhishek Srivastava, Asad Lalljee, Anant Ganesh, Debashis Das, Rajeev Shukre, Rajan Gupta, Roopak Saluja, Roshan Kanal, Shobhit Jaiswal and Zahid H. Jawali for taking time out from your busy schedules and making the book more engaging.

I owe a debt of gratitude to renowned psychologist, Dr. Seema Hingorrany, senior paediatric consultant and oncologist, Dr. Santanu Sen and paediatrician Dr. Ninad Hebbalkar for contributing exclusive write-ups for the readers. The book’s utility for the common reader has gone up manifold with your contributions.

I am grateful to Vivek Oberoi, Manoj Bajpayee, Madhur Bhandarkar, Tarun Katial, Nandita Aggarwal and Vinita Nangia for their consistent encouragement.

I remain grateful to my mom and dad for instilling in me values that had me believe that a book of this nature was long overdue and had to be written.

I am as grateful to my wife Ramyani and son Tanish for being my reservoir of strength. You make life more liveable.

Last but not the least, as always, I remain thankful to my readers! No contemporary Indian writer has perhaps experimented as lavishly with all his books as I have. You give me the strength to believe that the bestsellers’ chart is not the be all and end all. There is a beautiful world beyond it.

My heart leaps up when I behold

A Rainbow in the sky:

So was it when my life began;

So is it now I am a man;

So be it when I shall grow old,

Or let me die!

The Child is father of the man;

And I wish my days to be

Bound each to each by natural piety.

—William Wordsworth

Cover

Praise from the Participant Dads

About the Author

Title Page

Dedication

Acknowledgements

The Rainbow

Prologue

Section A: BECOMING DAD

1. Introduction

Why I wrote the book

2. I Want to Become a Dad…But Am I Ready?

My first paternal pangs

When to be a father

It’s written in the stars

The clock is ticking…

Things to remember

Section B: WHAT A DAD NEEDS TO DO DURING PREGNANCY

3. You’re Expecting! What Next?

Deciding the doctor and hospital

Make your home baby-friendly

Scans and more…

Stem cell banking

Things to remember

4. Giving Emotional Support

She needs some tender, loving, care

Say goodbye to your social life

Put wife before work

Help her through morning sickness

Indulge her food cravings