I must have been four years old, travelling by train with my father to Jalandhar. A lady sitting next to me asked, “How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
I started naming them, counting on my fingers, and confidently said, “Eleven.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief. How could my father, still in his thirties, have so many children?
She turned to him for confirmation. My father smiled and said, “I have only two sons — he’s the elder one.” Then he added, “He doesn’t know the difference between real siblings and cousins. For him, they’re all the same.”
And it was true. We were so close that I never knew — or cared — about the difference.
On every Raksha Bandhan, my father’s elder brother and younger sister, who lived in Delhi, would all gather at one place. There would always be a friendly tussle about who would host that year. The air was filled with chatter, laughter, and the aroma of festive food.
By the end of the day, my wrists would be covered with rakhis — not one or two, but so many that both fists felt heavy. I wouldn’t remove them for days. Long after the beads and centrepieces fell away, the colourful threads would still cling to my wrists, like little reminders of love.
Years have passed. We all grew up, got married, and scattered to different corners of the world. Three of my cousin sisters are in the USA, three are in Delhi. Most of my elder cousins have migrated abroad, and I am now the eldest one left in India.
Now, Raksha Bandhan is quieter. My wrists are often empty. My sons receive rakhis in the mail, and my wife ties them on their wrists. The warmth of those childhood gatherings is now just a memory.
Except for me, everyone in my generation has only one child. I fear that in the years to come, many children will grow up without Chachas, Mamas, or Buas. And perhaps one day, Raksha Bandhan itself will fade away — not because people don’t value it, but because there will be no brothers and sisters to celebrate with.
From wrists once overflowing with rakhis… to wrists with none. That is how time changes everything.
