The Power of Five
We are 5 of us 3 brothers, 2 sisters Perfect symmetry Paanch Pandav I used to consider ourselves And we have been closely bonded since years – living within a few kms of each other (mostly). Summers, festivals, birthdays – spent together, holidays spent together, taken vacations together. It was bliss. I still remember us staying up late, whispering secrets in the dark as the parents went off to sleep; I remember spending evenings on trips spent in each other’s bedrooms talking incessantly. I also recall running off together during family functions to spend our own time together. I never felt the need for a sibling because my cousins and me were the most closely-knit bond I shared and they never let me feel alone. But it all started changing one day. One day – 10 years ago My eldest cousin – left for studies abroad. He was the first of us to leave India for studies. We were happy for him, yet emotional at sending him so far off from ourselves. All 4 of us came to see him off at the air...