Rakhing together

It is a joke to tie a gem-studded twine on brother’s wrist and wait for his arrival and protect him by eating laddoos.

Dear Pain Akka,

Not more than a month has passed since the festival of Rakhi. But that day, I was left to roam the city, in search of peace and happiness, which was missing at home. My brother had forgotten that special day and went to play cricket early in the morning. My mother went to visit her brother, but he also did not get well. Mama ji gave him only ₹ 500. I was left holding a brass plate with a silk thread rakhi and laddoos, waiting for my cricket-crazed brother to come home. So I set out for a walk in solitude to contemplate the injustice of life. Why have these valuable customs been made mere formalities in today’s time? How can we revive these great traditions?

– depressed and neglected siblings

Dear Sis,

I hope you have had some laddus before leaving the house because it is never a good idea to go for a walk on an empty stomach sad and lonely. You never know when you will wish to get into an emotional song like ‘Bhaiya Mere Rakhi Ke Bandhan Ko Nibhana’ sung by Nanda in the film. younger sister. Songs like these celebrating brothers can blow Mickey out of you in terms of energy. One or two laddus keep you going.

I think you were loading the thali to feed your brother in the hope that he will burst into ‘Phool Ka Taaron Ka’, the iconic song sung by Bhai Ko Behen. Hare Rama Hare Krishna, But you may have been a little too optimistic. Unless it’s something really urgent, like a board exam or death, men can’t be taken away from cricket. I have seen them secretly check their phones to catch the score even during funerals. When you’re trying to be the Virat of the future, you can’t waste time on useless sister acts, unless it’s for a suiting and shirting ad.

Interestingly, there is no such function in Tamil Nadu. Women are tying threads of many colors on their wrists and necks to save their husbands, but as far as I know there is nothing to save the brothers, although the laddus are being consumed in great quantities. And why not, I say. Longevity sweets. And ice cream. And pudding.

Speaking of which, there is a saying in Tamil called “Halwa Dena”, which basically means to take someone for a ride. I suspect that while you were waiting for your brother with laddoos, your brother was giving you the pudding. Hahaha, never mind, I’m kidding. But you must have understood that tying gem-studded twine on brother’s wrist and waiting for his arrival and protecting him by eating laddoos is a joke. For example, when you fall in love with a man of another caste, this same brother will not protect you, but will use a cricket bat to beat up both you and the lover.

But a lot of good work is also being done in this ceremony. You can tie rakhis and laddoos to any mohalla or college Romeo and claim they are your ‘brothers’, to which they generously agree to stop lying to you. A simple system, such as pavement vendors giving gangsters weeks for security.

Meanwhile, I won’t worry too much about the Rakhi function ending. Like other meaningless days – Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Virus Day – a thriving consumer industry has sprung up around this custom. But if you want your brother to replace his square leg with a longer arm, you have to move on. Buy Swarovski rakhis for her and fill Godiva chocolates in a brass plate.

– AA

pain.akka@gmail.com

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