 | « Back to article | Print this article |
'My brother -- my confidante, my guardian angel'
Readers share their special brother-sister moments in the run-up to Raksha Bandhan. Share yours!
To celebrate the special bond between siblings on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, we invited readers to share special moments they've spent with their brothers/sister. Here are some of the responses we received. Share yours!
I remember a journey that I took to Cuttack with my mother when I was in Class 8. It was significant since it was the first time I had ever been away from my brother. Barely able to deal with the pangs of separation, I realised how dear my brother is to me and the juvenile fights I had with him till then were but part of growing up. Those bitter fights of our childhood are now sweet memories for us.
He is my guardian angel in every sense of the term and has always cared for me with tenderness. For him, me and my happiness are the ultimate things in his life. Right from standing in an endless queue to buy a college application form to providing me with all the books and stationery, to taking me to various book fairs despite not having an iota of interest in reading, to handing the TV remote over to me the moment I demanded it -- he has done it all with exemplary selflessness.
He understands me better than I understand myself. He has always come up with a solution for the various predicaments that I have had in my life so far. My conquests, big or small, please him even if it means they are at his expense.
He is my brother, friend, confidante, critic all rolled into one and an inextricable part of my life. He has been an indelible influence on me.
Finally I would like to say "Mere bhaiyya, mere chanda, mere anmol rattan...tere badle main zamaane ki koi cheez na lun."
-- K Seeta Rajani
I am mocked as 'Taata/Taats' by my new-found sister due to our age difference and I fondly call her 'Maamu'.
I was transferred to Kolkata much against my wishes, leaving my family behind in Madras. Those were very dull days but one day at office, my life perked up when I came across a slim, ever-smiling, soft-spoken, very well-behaved, highly sincere, zero-negative quality girl (what more can I say to describe her) from Madras and at first sight itself, some divine power pulled her towards me.
One Sunday, she invited me to her home which she was sharing with our colleagues. I gifted her a small Ferrero Rocher chocolate box and she prepared a lip-smacking vermicelli upma for me. We began meeting more often and our friendship grew. It so happened that she wanted to shift to a new home as her parents were coming to stay with her. When I learnt that none of her friends were accompanying her when she was going to various lonely places with strangers (brokers) especially after office hours, I volunteered my support. She finally found a suitable house and I helped her to set up a home before her parents arrived.
What touched me most was her SMS thanking me, to which I replied saying I had just done my duty that her brother would have done otherwise. The trust and confidence that she put in me really touched my heart. Our special brother-sister bond was established there. Her parents and brother treated me like family. I thank all the Gods for bringing 'maamu' into my life.
I am eagerly waiting for that great day this year when 'maamu' ties Rakhi on the eve of Raksha Bandhan. I wish her happiness throughout her life and promise that her 'taata' will always be there for any support, any time, unconditionally.
-- Satish S
Immediately after my marriage things at home turned from bad to worse and I was alienated from my family due to circumstances beyond our control. On the day of Raksha Bandhan more than two decades ago, I still remember the sinking feeling of emptiness I had.
All around me were cheeful smiles, sweet giggles, joyous laughter, even my wife was happy and all geared up to tie Rakhi to her six brothers. And I, all along, carried an empty smile.
Nobody from my house visited, not even my sister, to celebrate the joyous occasion with me. I looked at my empty wrist and the sorrow deepened. There was no solace, I felt like shutting myself off from the world.
Two decades have passed, but those days still haunt me. Unfortunately they are now part of my life.
-- Devidayal
To celebrate the special bond between brothers and sisters, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, we invite you to tell us the most memorable moments you have had with your sibling(s). Happy, sad, funny, sentimental or just plain crazy, we want to hear them all!
Send your favourite memories to getahead@rediff.co.in with the subject 'My special sister-brother memories' and we'll post the best right here on rediff.com! And while you're at it, send us a pic of you and your siblings too.