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I’ve always wondered why Rakshabandhan is a festival for only brother-sister relationships. The festival celebrates the bond between siblings and as a symbol of lifelong protection and happiness; sisters tie a rakhi on their brothers’ wrists. But I do not have a brother and have always wondered why I cannot celebrate it with my sister. So ever since I was little, I’ve tied a rakhi on my sister’s wrist. If it’s a symbol of protection and celebrates the bond between siblings, the bond we share should be celebrated.
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As a kid, she has always been the one I went to when I wanted to get rid of the monsters under my bed. She has always been my guide and protector. She has been the one I turned to when I had nightmares and wanted her to have my back. She took care of me like a mother did and helped me deal with my bullies in school. She fought with my parents to allow me to pursue my love for learning the piano when my parents were against it. She even cooked for me and cut the sides off my sandwiches until recently.
More Than Sisters
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Don’t get me wrong, she was not a lot older than me. We were three years apart, but she protected me like her very own daughter. I remember once when I was lying in bed with a high temperature. My mother told her to leave me alone because she would fall sick too. She was barely 9 years old at the time but refused to leave the room. She waited until my mother put me to sleep and lay down next to me. She even woke up from time to time to check if I still had a fever. She did not care about losing sleep. All she wanted was for me to get well.
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My friends always envied how close we were. As we grew up and entered our teenage years, they told me that we’d drift apart because sisters tend to do that. I was terrified because I believed them and could not stand the thought of losing her. She was my best friend. But I waited and waited for things to change. And they did. Except not in the way I was expecting, but she became even more caring. She let me borrow her clothes and taught me how to stand up for myself. We became friends. The closest kind of friends.
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When mom and dad fought about trivial things, we’d sit in our room and make promises to each other. We knew we had each other no matter what. For my 18th birthday, she bought me my first smartphone with her savings. She said I deserved it because I’ve grown to be a strong and independent young woman. She did not care that it was expensive. She did not care that she was using an old phone with less than half of the features mine did. I told her that she should take it, but she insisted I keep it.
My Best Friend And Soulmate
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We had each other’s back through our heartbreaks, failures, and betrayals. We became inseparable and did everything together. Many people would confuse us for twins because we were like two peas in a pod. Over the years, our bond has grown stronger, and no matter where we are, we know we have each other.
My sister lives across the world. She is pursuing her higher education, but thousands of miles between us cannot stop us from being best friends. We fight sometimes but cannot stay mad at each other for more than a couple of hours. She has taught me everything I know and has inspired me to become the person I am today. I cannot imagine tying a rakhi to anyone else because my sister is my soulmate. Who cares if I don’t have a brother because Rakshabandhan is for sisters too!
