Sister Act

Disclaimer- This blog isn't about our favourite 'nun' Whoopi Goldberg but some real sisters😍

I am the eldest of 3 sisters - 1 and a 1/2 years older than Archu and 6 and a 1/2 years older than Dolly.

Being just 18 months old when Archu was born, we literally grew up as close friends. Till date (touch wood) we have never had any arguments or fights! That's an example I generally give to my daughters when they fight and they find it hard to believe!

Archu and I are so alike and yet so different! We are both laid back and patient. We can work and get work done without losing our cool. We are perfectionists - do something to the best of our ability or just don't do it! We are practical and positive - always the problem solvers. Only difference is she is the more active one 😬

Also, Archu was always the smart one who learnt from my mistakes! I got scolded very frequently because I was quite a naughty child ( hard to believe, right? Looks are definitely deceptive!😜) I mellowed down a lot as I grew into a highly conscious and reserved teenager, while Archu opened up.

When I was studying Law in Pune, Archu was in Chennai studying Optometry. We wrote to each other regularly and would share our experiences regarding hostel, college, places to visit around us. We made plans and visited each other, reliving what we shared in the letters. I visited a beach for the first time when I met her in Chennai and I was thrilled!

Archu was the first one to know about anything good or bad that happened to me! Sometimes we were eerily telepathic... We still speak to each other every single day and losing Daddy has only brought us closer than ever.....

Dolly, our youngest sister, was born when I was 6 1/2 years old. She was "my baby"! She was like a living breathing 'doll' (because she was the cutest baby I had ever seen!) for me ! I would sit with her on my lap all day and play with her, not letting anyone touch her! I was very possessive about her.

As we all grew up, with Daddy's constant motivation, we used to sing, dance, write poetry, anchor shows/ events together. We would dress Dolly up and make her model for us. She would happily let us put make up on her face as she loved dressing up and being on the stage. Dolly even anchored a TV show while in college.

I still remember when we dropped her off at Law School, I cried all the way back home! For me, she was still "my baby"! She still is....

When all of us were in our 20s, the age gap didn't seem to matter anymore! We would rent movies and watch all night, while drinking and talking about our good and bad experiences.

During my first pregnancy I really wished for a daughter! Both my sisters were a big help during the initial months and even later. When Zinnia was born, I was over the moon because I know how special it is to have sisters.

Whenever we met my sisters would look after their nieces and I got some 'me time'!

There was a time when the three of us were literally the same height and ended up sharing clothes and shoes. Many a time Dolly's classmates would mistake me for her, which was hilarious because I was a good 6 years senior to them!!! Our youngest turned out to be the tallest of us all but we continued to share whatever we could!

Every term break I would exchange my clothes with them as we didn't believe in spending money unnecessarily. Yes, we were thrifty that way!

There were tough times when we rented a house in the civil area. Since we were growing up fast, we started helping Mummy out with the household chores. We sisters had divided our work clearly - sweeping, washing clothes (there were no washing machines then!), doing the dishes was my job. Archu would cook meals and mop. Dolly was way too young, so, she helped lay the table and fill water bottles.

Mummy was working as a teacher in a school at the other side of the city. Then she would oversee the construction of our house till evening. She basically left at 7 am and came back home at 7 or 8pm. So, we used to wait for her with a clean house and hot food!

Till date, none of us have any issues doing housework ourselves! We learnt self reliance, humility and dignity of labour early enough. I'm trying to get my daughters to do the same. While Naomi is grown up enough to manage all her stuff on her own, Zinu will take a while I guess 🙂

We learnt to care and share. We learnt independence and self reliance. We learnt to respect every person who helped us and never to look down upon those who work hard to earn a living. Till date I say 'thank you' to the maids who work at my home or any other helper like the cleaner, plumber, gardener etc. It's a habit I have passed on to my daughters.

While in a civil rented accommodation in our hometown, we also got to know all our relations - close and not so close! We had a blast when all the cousins got together and that was probably the best times we had! We learnt to get along with all kinds of people and to accept people as they are without expecting anything out of them.

We learnt that no matter what happens, a family can solve any problem together. We learnt that money and property were mere possessions, real wealth is having a loving and caring family.

Now we all have our own lives, own families. Everybody is busy living their lives and we don't get to meet much. But, thanks to social media, keeping in touch is easier! We can see our kids growing up fast and we remember our childhood days.

This photograph was taken in 2009 and it was the last time we 3 sisters and our parents got together. The five of us never managed to get together like this again as there was always someone missing - mostly 'moi' because I couldn't get away from my responsibilities as a wife and mother! These are very precious memories for all of us...