My sister is my brother :)
#HappyRakshaBandhan #CelebrateSisters

Hello ladies,
I'm gonna talk about something close to my heart. I don't have a brother. I have an elder sister. We are only two daughters and my parents chose not to "try for a third for a son". They got to hear a lot of nonsense from all "well meaning relatives". But they didn't budge.

We have been brought up in a very open way. We were never treated like "girls". And there was never any differentiation. We did all chores like any CHILD is expected to. We did well in school. My sister was on the merit list of CBSE board (she stood 4th!). So whenever some pandit or elderly person would bless us with a "brother" we would politely say, we don't want one!

We come from a family of doctors and engineers and armed services on both sides. Girls are doctors or dentists (even in the army!!) and boys are engineers/IT people. My parents broke that ritual. So did we sisters. She became an architect & urban town planner. I studied journalism & mass comm and got into advertising. We are both financially independent (touch wood). We don't consider ourselves any different from men at the workplace.

While growing up I never missed having a brother. My sister pushed me on the cycle and that's how I learnt. She showed me her luna and I drove it. We have even acted in plays together. She introduced me to rock bands and everything in music. I read the authors she did. She was a sportsperson, I only played badminton :))) For many years, I was Uttara's sister. And then thankfully, at some point of time, I got to be known as Asha Chaudhry.

She came to visit after my childoo was born (she lives abroad). And she was the one who accompanied me to Delhi in Aarini's first flight! She taught me how to put on a diaper properly (god knows how you can go wrong there, but I did).

We are chalk and cheese. And yet, in certain ways, she has influenced my preferences, but she has also taught me to be my own person, with my own personality.

So why am I saying all this? That too on Raksha Bandhan. All I want to say to other moms who don't have brothers, PLEASE CELEBRATE YOUR SISTERS TOO!

If you don't have a brother, tell me in the comments and share a sister-sister wala pic like I just did :)

ps: this pic was taken when i was 7 and she was 14 :)