sister Archives

My Didi, My Keeper: Did My Illness Steal My Sister’s Childhood?

When I was nine and my sister 13, I was diagnosed with leukaemia. Suddenly, my family’s plans changed overnight. My father gave up a job offer, my mother became my full-time carer. And my sister, always the mature, responsible one who never needed supervision, was left to her own devices.

Kahini Iyer June 20, 2016

Modern Family

Why Don’t Indian Families Say “I Love You”?

Indian families are diverse in every way, especially in how they choose to express affection. There are the boisterous, pappi-jhappi ones – and then there are the quiet, awkward-hug kind of families who pass on a strained emotional inheritance to their confused millennial children.

Shalaka Pradhan May 18, 2016

Coronavirus

How Can You Prepare to Take Care of Family When COVID-19 Knocks at Your Door? You Can’t

Sickness and death come to everyone, but the undiluted fear that overcame me after my sister got infected was nothing that I had experienced before. I had never felt the helplessness of looking for hospital beds that didn’t exist, of spending hours making calls to procure a life-giving canister of oxygen. I was prepared to beg, borrow, or steal medicines, not even knowing if they would work.

Kahini Iyer May 14, 2016

Culture

Why Should Boys Have All the Rakhis? Let’s Celebrate Sisterhood this Raksha Bandhan

With two sisters and no brothers, my FOMO would peak annually during Raksha Bandhan season. Older and wiser, I don’t believe the rakhi is exclusively meant only for male siblings and cousins, but every one who protects us, showers us with love and wisdom, and makes life a little more playful and colourful.

Karima Khan May 10, 2016

Modern Family

Guilty Until Proven Innocent: Only Older Siblings Will Get This!

Ever since my little sister was born, it feels like she’s strolling down a path I’ve had to gruellingly blaze with my blood, sweat, and tears. My younger sibling’s arrival was bad news, as I was going to be held up as a role model whether I liked it or not.

Nihal Bambulkar May 3, 2016

Gender

Look Who’s Not Cooking: Why My Children Will Never Eat Maa Ke Haath Ka Khana

When I was growing up, Maa’s kitchen had some manner of grinding, slow cooking going on at all times. But my utter lack of initiative when it comes to feeding people ghar ka khaana has been the cause of great pain to women in my family.

Sonali Kokra April 13, 2016