A letter to my brother!

Once in a while we open our treasure jars with keepsakes from many years, seashells from holidays, movie tickets of first dates or hastily scrolled love-notes to relive the olden golden times.

Letter writing has gone to dust but its charm lives on. In the socially extroverted world, the quick story tags and Whatsapp forwards have taken over this old-school method of showing love.

SSuch thoughts clouded my busy mind as I sat one morning at my office desk, jotting down on our letter pad, messages from sisters to brothers. I paused and looked around absorbing the hustle-bustle of rakhis being made, packed, and dispatched. The studio air pulsated with the happy emotion of rakshabandhan.

After reading and writing all the full-of-love anecdotes and inside family jokes, growing-up memories of me and Umang, my brother gushed in. I too had to write a letter to him now!

August 7th 2021

Dear Umang Bhaiyya,

As rakhi nears, I miss home a little more each day. Especially this year with Dolu’s being the first rakhi You know Umang, I have written so many letters on behalf of so many sisters that I felt, why am I not writing a letter to you?

Umang, for me, you are the childhood I get to keep forever, and that is a beautiful gift. In every letter I write, I see us. Your life journey has also been a part of my journey.

With your marriage, I first made a Lumba for Preeti bhabhi and we started to started to make lumbas at Nomad.

This year I didn't want to send Dolu a big rakhi. Hence I made the Dolu-Meethu rakhi for Dolu and Meethu.

I am bewildered at this realization, how strongly your presence in my life has shaped my Rakhi journey entirely.