Brother boards a 22-hour long flight only to celebrate 'Raksha Bandhan' with his sister

Like most siblings, while growing up my brother and I constantly fought with each other. Being five years apart in age, my brother donned the role of a protector and that led us to always being on opposite sides of the spectrum. He had a contradicting view to most of my decisions which ended up in heated arguments. I despised having him around in my teens and yearned for some privacy. I was ecstatic when my brother was leaving to go abroad to study as I would finally have the freedom of doing things on my own. Soon after he left though, reality hit. I never thought I would miss him as much as I did, and I couldn't fathom a life without him being around. I am Trinity Kashyap; as ironic as it may sound, my brother and I grew closer while we were miles away from each other.

Once he left, I instantly felt his absence that left a void in my life. I missed him a lot more on special occasions like my birthday and Raksha Bandhan. Since we grew up in Rajasthan, Raksha Bandhan has been an important tradition in my family. As kids, we never understood its significance, but as we grew older and moved to different countries, this was the one day I missed him the most. In the last 14 years, whichever country he was in, I ensured he received a 'Rakhi' well in advance, though I really missed tying it around his wrist personally.

The joy of Raksha Bandhan that I experienced as a child was replaced with a feeling of emptiness every year on this day. But last year was different! As I sat by the window reminiscing our childhood days and brooding over my brother not being around, my husband called me to help him with some chores outside our home. But little did I know that my husband and brother were going to blow my mind away. As I stepped outside my house and walked towards the elevator, I saw my brother standing there, arms wide open with the biggest smile I have ever seen. I was speechless, numb with excitement as this was OUR day, and I was celebrating it with him after 13 long years. I cannot explain the emotions that we went through - a moment I cherish forever.

Over the years, my brother has donned different roles - from being an enemy, to a mentor and now my best friend. Our bond has only become stronger over these years. No matter how busy our lives are and how different our time zones, we are constantly in touch and consult each other on important decisions and most often than not, now we are on the same side of the spectrum. As someone rightly said, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'.