Whom papa loves most?

‘Whom does papa love most?' younger one asked.

‘Of course, me,’ elder one said, smiling.

We were sitting on the cool marble floor, trying to beat the heat during a long power cut.

This rivalry for best place in Papa’s heart had been going on for quite some time now between my two daughters: elder, 11 and younger, 5. The elder had complaint that wherever I went, I took the younger one.  By wherever, she meant local market or to a friend's or neighbour’s house for a brief chat or for some work.

‘I am Papa’s daughter, you are mummy’s,’ said the younger one and jumped onto my lap and putting her arms around my neck, clung to it.

The elder one’s smile vanished. This time she was serious. Earlier, she had brushed aside younger’s claim. But yesterday I had taken the younger one to market and bought her an ice-cream.

I was in a fix.  It was not first time that such a situation had arisen. But for last two three days elder one had been feeling down. I had tried to convince her that she was her small sister and still a baby.  

‘So what?’ she demanded.

‘She is little baby that’s why she gets more attention,’ I tried to placate her. ‘

Í am also still a child,’ she fumed, ‘and don’t force me to feel that I have grown up, that I am a big girl.’

‘Ok, ok...I didn’t say that. You too are my small baby. And I love you equally.’

‘Then, why this partiality?’

‘What partiality?’ I pretended that I was angry.

‘Then you prove that you love us equally,’ elder one demanded.

The younger one was smiling and playing with hairs on my chest.   

I didn’t know what to do. The elder one was staring at me seriously. It seemed that she would start crying any moment. Suddenly an idea struck me.

‘Which one of your eyes you love most?’I asked.

‘Both,’ she said.

‘In case someone asks you for one, which one you will give,’ I asked again.

‘Neither.’

‘So is the case with me. You two are my two eyes, and none is less important to me,’ I said, smiling.

Her expression changed. She smiled and jumped onto my other thigh pushing aside the younger one.

‘You are very clever. By the way, we love you and happy father’s day.’

I wondered if I had three, what would have I done to convince them.