Sometime last year, I became the youngest single parent to adopt a child in India, at 28. I went through hell to bring little Binney home. I fought everything and everyone —from red tape, corruption, vile adoption agencies and bureaucracy. Naysayers tried their best to convince me not to commit — telling me that I was ruining my life. But from the second Binney and I met at that orphanage of the Missionaries of Charity in Indore, I knew I would adopt him.
That day marked the start of a story. I ran door-to-door, emailed Union ministers, was troubled at almost every step by those against the adoption but at the end, Binney and his proud father won. Today, his name is Avnish Aditya Tiwari and he turns two this month. I’m proud to say that he’s my son. Since the adoption, fresh laws were implemented across India on August 1, 2015. Now, the adoption process is more transparent and registration has been moved online now.
Once we register on the Central Adoption Resource Authority’s (CARA) website, we can actually track the status and there’s no more need of an adoption agency.
My son also suffers from Down Syndrome. Deep down I know and I slightly fear for him. I’m sure he’ll do great in music, the arts but he may struggle with the concepts of language, grammar, maths and the sciences. That’s alright because far from building his IQ — I’d rather build his EQ.
There have been developments in my life too. I was once warned — right before the adoption — that I’ll never be able to find a woman willing to marry me. But I received over 100 proposals just last month — girls from all over the country, and beyond.
But then, people have been emailing me throughout. I’m a single parent with a child with special needs. I’ll need all the help I can get and the best part is, help’s always nearby. I’m after all the bachelor father! After the media blitzkrieg of last year, Avi and I have settled down to a fantastic life. These days, I just wait for time to fly at office and I wait for the weekend. Before he arrived in my life, I would spend my weekends at work. But now, I can’t wait to get home — to spend time with my little darling and my parents. My colleagues have been extremely supportive and they have helped me in various ways — from leaves to providing me the motivation. I actually got two awards at work.
Binney and I are looking forward to traveling a lot. In the past three months, we have explored Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Mysuru and Pune. We wish to see more places. For Binney, I want to shower him with the same love my parents gave me. It will be an honour to see him grow up — find his own unique place in the world so, it’s not just my responsibility but also my honour to give him the best and more — always and forever. That’s a promise.
