Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Even when borders divide us, the thread of Rakhi stitches hearts across oceans. While most sisters carefully tie rakhis on their brothers' wrists, I step out into the quiet warmth of my yard and wrap mine around a tree tall, steady, silently enduring.
But this isn’t just a tree. It’s the stand-in for my younger brother, Parash Ganguly my anchor, my emotional compass, now living far away in Germany, after a short stint in Dubai. At just 19, Parash holds the kind of maturity that humbles me. He's gentle, intuitive, often sensing my feelings before I speak a word. One Raksha Bandhan, back in 2023, still sits fresh in my memory we were giggling over the last piece of mithai when Parash slipped and fractured his collarbone. I ended up crying harder than him. That’s the kind of bond we share not loud, but deeply rooted. Unseen, yet unshakable. Last year, when he flew home briefly from Dubai, he handed me a gift: Balika Badhu by Bimal Kar my most cherished book by my most beloved author. I had never once told him about it. “I just knew,” he said, with that small smile that always speaks volumes. Now, as the sky stretches endlessly between us, I return to the tree. I tie my rakhi to its bark like a sacred thread silent, strong, a prayer wrapped in memory and love. A bond the winds can never carry away.
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When he’s not here, the tree receives the rakhi
Distance doesn't dull emotions it deepens them. And when Parash isn't around, I tie a rakhi to the tree near my house. For me, it becomes a symbol of his strength, his rooted presence in my life, no matter where he is. The tree holds my silent prayers and unspoken affection. With every thread I tie around its bark, I whisper the same promise: “I will always protect you, as you’ve always protected me in spirit.”
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Voices across continents
What the siblings say on Raksha Bandhan
Parash: “We may be miles apart, but Rakhi reminds me I’m never alone. I miss our silly fights, the sweets… and that tree near home? It feels like my twin now. It’s strange, but I feel her prayers in every breeze.”
Himika: “Parash may be the youngest, but he’s the thread that keeps us tied together. I still find myself laughing at his little quirks. Raksha Bandhan is no longer just a festival it’s our emotional reunion. Through video calls or quiet memories, we meet heart to heart.”