My Royal Pains

Siblings!

I’m sure anyone who has siblings understands the above word is stated not in fondness, or in kindness, it is stated in frustration!

They come in all ages, genders and sizes but there is one thing that they all have in common – they are a pain in the neck!

I remember incidents when my two younger sisters and I were small kids, where I used to chase them around the house, mostly around the dining table. Till date we keep fighting, though the fights have matured from physical to verbal. I’m sure I was a pain too for them; cause I remember believing that they just had to obey my words and bullying them to do so.

I can’t even recall the number of times I landed up in trouble for something they did. Mom’s regular old excuse for that was “You were supposed to make sure they didn’t do anything naughty.” I’m sure all the eldest kid in the family will understand the sentiments that coursed through me for that.

And yet it is a fact that the only people who will stand up to you are your siblings. I was never a violent child with anyone except my cousin brother Madhav (sorry about that!) but when I was in 7^th std, I beat up this big fat guy, just because he had made my sister, Kanch, cry by bullying her.

Kanch and Kavi have stood up by my side against anyone and everyone who tried to undermine me. (Their cover-up for that little slip was that only they have the right to bring about my downfall…kids I tell you!)

I remember my sister coming to me and telling me about her first boyfriend and how I threatened to make his life miserable if he ever broke her heart (it was a good thing for him that when that happened I was in Pune).

But the point is, that no matter how annoying they are, you just can’t imagine a life where they don’t exist. There would be no fun to it, or any memorable moments, be it good or bad, without them. Because you love them, their mistakes and all and they love you too. It’s an unspoken universal truth, which is denied a lot (especially by my sisters), and yet never goes away. So now if you’ll excuse me I am going to go and show my sisters how much I love them in the age-old sibling tradition way…chasing them around the dining table again!