Raksha Bandhan

 

Raksha Bandhan

Yesterday was Shravan Poornima, also known as narali poornima and celebrated as raksha bandhan, a special occasion to mark the bond between brother and sister. For the past 2 weeks multiple shops on the streets around here in Pune have been displaying colorful rakhis ( thread bracelets). The sight of these delightful accessories is particularly poignant for me since 1999. I had bought a rakhi that year and never mailed it to my brother. And never needed to since that year. Brother was gone by September. 

Last evening received a greeting on WhatsApp from a family friend in Khopoli wishing me on Raksha Bandhan. It was a gesture that was touching for me. As I thanked him for thinking of me on this occasion my eyes filled up with tears. In all these years, twenty five to be precise, my mind has learned to take Rakhi Poornima and Bhau bij in its stride. “This occasion is not for me” is a quiet acceptance I have embraced. And yet sometimes, like it did last night, something suddenly and unexpectedly brings alive the feeling of the love for brother. It is more than just the forgotten pain that comes to life. There is a joy of almost feeling brother coming to life, even though just within the mind. This is invariably accompanied by intense prayer and wishing that he is and will remain happy wherever he is. And with it there is a sense of great  gratitude for whatever time this life offered in the past to experience the bond of brother and sister. There is no comparison between this and other relationships. Life was rich then and remains rich due to memories. These are priceless.

Such occasions make us pause and look outside the box of daily humdrum of life. It allows you to “feel” that magical thing called love. It takes years to realize that the most precious things are those that do not have a mass, size, shape, color or location. Love, kindness, gratitude, good will, blessings to name a few. …..and the words that describe them are not them. The words are just pointers. The real things must be experienced. And that’s the gift I received yesterday. As long as I and my sister live, our brother shall live🙏🏼🙏🏼