I love her very much. It is with her that I have shared countless plates of meal, fruits and vegetables. What I like about her the most is that, unlike yours truly, she manages to keep up her smile even while under stress and hardship. If she is unable to cope with any of her problems, she seeks my help.

Besides finding my presence soothing, she says she greatly values my suggestions. No matter how angry I am, her smile melts my wrath away in a trice. But how does she manage to keep her cool even while I ridicule and tease her with names like Kali, Pudki, and Bhunti? Need I say then that I too find her presence comforting? Indeed, my sister has a thing or two to teach to her naive brother.

No matter what one of us is doing, the other never feels disturbed. With so much influence over me, she’s my source of inspiration. Any surprise? Now we can guess what the other is thinking just by looking at each other’s face.

I love her because she’s sensitive but honest, childlike but illuminating. Even while I guide her, I am always learning something in turn. Hence, when, one day, out of the blue, she blurted out that she didn’t like me, I was completely dumbfounded and heartbroken. How could someone I admired and loved so much say something so callous, so hurtful? I couldn’t understand. That day, I could not sleep for the whole night. I tried to find solace in other things, but nothing would cheer me up.

But early next day, she came up to me, bubbling and smiling as always and planted a kiss on my cheek. “Dada! I love you very much”. It was then that I realised what a unique relationship we shared. It was a heartbreak the day before and patchup the next. We couldn’t keep from talking to each other for more than a day or two. I guess no other relationship is as precious and pure as that between a brother and a sister.

In times of hardships, there is nothing like having someone as sympathetic as a sister to narrate my woes to. I hope the ever-changing times will have no impact upon our relationship. If, for any reason, misunderstanding created a chasm between the two of us, I am sure, I would remain a miserable person no matter what other worldly things might come my way.