It’s that time of the year again where all the ads and videos will be dedicated to the brother-sister relationship and how it should be celebrated with Raksha Bandhan. When I was a small kid, I used to be filled with anguish because I didn’t have a brother and would get upset when I couldn’t celebrate this festival. I wanted a brother badly, so I could tie a rakhi and get gifts, but with time, I started seeing this festival in a new perspective, and I wanted to celebrate this festival with not only my brother (cousin), but with all those people who protect me in different ways in life.
Like my father, who would give anything just to protect me—which he has been doing since I was born—being my guide to the outside world and sometimes just being there giving me strength by his presence. You know that feeling when your days are just not in your favour, and then you hear your mom’s assuring voice that everything would be fine? Your brain says it’s utter nonsense, but your heart always falls for it, and you start believing it. Well, that’s how my mom gives me strength by advising me, praying for me and healing me in ways.
Then there is my sister, who is a significant part of my life. My childhood, teenage and adulthood would have been incomplete without her. When we were small, we would fight like cock and bull, but as we grew up, we became partners in crime. Now that I am so far away from her, I miss her drama, her no-nonsense expression, and sometimes I miss her comfort. She is just two years younger than me, but her ideologies leave me dumbstruck, and I can’t help but feel emotional that she has grown up so fast.
Anyway, the whole point of writing this is that why should celebrating Raksha Bandhan be limited to only brother and sister? It should be dedicated to all those people who have stood by you through trying times when you felt weak. They were there to hold you on days when even you didn’t believe in yourself, but they did. They stood by you, helping you renew the faith in yourself again.
I dedicate this Raksha Bandhan to all my loved ones, my parents, teachers and friends. After all, they have always been there for my ‘raksha’ when I needed them—because Raksha Bandhan is all about protecting your loved ones when they need you!