Raksha Bandhan is an attempt to be finally nice to that stinking piece of garbage sharing a room with us. I am talking about our siblings who have been a chalta firta sar dard for us since childhood. I’m sure all of us had and continue to have our fair share of sibling rivalry. Dear sisters, we get it; brothers can be total snitches, or is that just the younger child syndrome? Or when older siblings act like parents, ugh, enough! But little do we realise that our siblings are the only ones we have at the end of the day. So, we asked the sisters of All About Eve to remember the moments when their sibling finally turned into a friend they could count on.

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Finding friendship in annoying each other

Lucky are people who have elder sisters by their side. AAE’s Senior Writer and Brand Communications Executive, Ravnoor, shares, “I have an elder sister, and anyone who has an elder sister knows that they act more like your mother than your mother. From stealing her clothes and makeup while growing up to her stealing my brand new, untouched makeup now, I think we established that no matter how old we are, what bonds us together is annoying each other to death.

So, there wasn’t any specific moment when we realised that we could survive by each other’s side even if we had to suffer now and then because, honestly, big sisters can be quite cringe. I do have a younger brother too, and if he thinks I’m cringe, I’m gonna beat him up a little and make him repeat that I’m the world’s best sister. So, all thanks to my parents, I’m stuck with this one for life. Love you, big sis. Get me something good for Rakhi, and don’t expect the same from me.”

What it is like being the elder sister

Now that you have a younger sister’s POV, have you thought about what an elder sister feels about her younger siblings? Aarati, Assistant Editor and an elder sister extraordinaire has some insight. “With 7.5 years between us, I am not really sure if my sister and I are friends. All I can say is that I love her, even when she makes me want to pull out my hair sometimes. I remember when she was born. She was like a new toy that I wanted to play with. I would do anything to spend time with her. I finished my homework quickly, ate as fast as I could chew, and ignored all my friends (all three of them I had).

As we grew older, the age difference between us seemed like a huge ocean I had to cross. It took a little time, but we have found our footing again. She has hijacked my room back home, and she still takes all my things without my permission, even though I have told her not to do that for years. We might not see eye-to-eye most of the time, but we do love each other. Even if sometimes, I wanted to lock her in a room and throw the key away, life would be so boring without my sister. Love ya, sis. Now, get out of my room!”

From fighting about everything to sharing everything

Well, I have always been best friends with my elder sister. From raiding her wardrobe and gossiping about our relatives to ranting about the men in our lives, we had an easy relationship. But my younger brother and I are a different story. If you lock us up in a room, it’ll be World War III. If I received a penny for tolerating him every second of my life, I’d be a billionaire by now. But growing up, we both realised that we needed each other. At least there should be someone with whom you don’t feel the generational divide.

Today, he would barge into my room unannounced, say shit about stuff, and we’d end up talking about cinema, art, politics, and so on. We have come a long way from just tolerating each other, but it’s still a work in progress.

From the perfect sister to the imperfect BFF

It is a fact well proven that elder sisters are every parents’ project child. But here’s how Vrinda, AAE’s Social Media Manager, brings up a new perspective through her sibling rivalry. “There was a time when I thought my sister was untouchable, a perfect specimen moulded by our parents’ dreams. She was the topper, the sabhya bachcha, and the one who always had her act together. I used to watch her from a distance, standing on that high pedestal our parents had built for her, and I thought there was no way we could ever be on the same level. But then, one day, everything changed.

She called me, asking for a favour. It turns out she wasn’t in college like Mom thought—she was on a trip with her friends, and she needed me to cover for her. That was the moment I realised she wasn’t just my perfect sister; she was a flawed, wonderfully imperfect human being, just like me. All those years of thinking we were worlds apart seemed ridiculous. We were more alike than I had ever imagined. She let me in on her secrets, and suddenly, we weren’t just siblings anymore; we were friends. From that day on, I stopped seeing her as the golden child and started seeing her as someone I could laugh with, share secrets with, and even conspire with when it came to fooling our parents. And that was the day I realised that my sister had become my friend — a friend I could never break up with.”

How distance made the heart grow fonder

As much as we hate to be in the same room as our siblings, it kills us a little when they actually move out. That is exactly what Pravika, a Social Media Executive at AAE, felt. She says, “I think my sister and I became friends when she moved abroad eight years ago. We have a five-year age gap, so growing up, we didn’t have the same interests, which made it hard to find common ground. We often argued and got on each other’s nerves.

But when she first moved out, I remember she was unhappy and couldn’t tell our parents. She confided in me instead, and at that moment, I realised that our relationship had changed. The physical distance brought us closer emotionally, and we began to share more, understand each other better, and eventually became best friends. Now, we talk about everything—family drama, our love lives, dreams, and even the small things that make us happy. It took time, but we’ve built a strong and meaningful bond.”

From an annoying brother to a confidant

While elder sisters are too good to be true, younger brothers are a pain in the ass. Kayva, Executive Assistant at AAE, feels a similar pain. “I often saw my younger brother as an annoying sibling who would exercise his right to have the last slice of pizza. But things changed when I had my first breakup. As cliche as it sounds, I was a teenager who thought it was the end of the world. But then my brother came to my room and sat beside me.

For a change, he didn’t come intending to blackmail me into fulfilling his zillionth demand. For the first time, I saw my stupid younger brother be a supportive confidant. And that was the moment I realised all our fights were futile, and I finally found a permanent figure by my side whom I could call my friend.”

From twins to friends

Having an elder or younger sibling is okay, but imagine having a twin. AAE’s YouTube Channel Manager, Stuti, is well-versed with that feeling. She says, “My brother and I are twins, and from the very beginning, we were close, connected by the shared experiences of growing up together. However, as we entered our teenage years, we began to drift apart for various reasons, and our relationship became a mix of love and hate. There were even times when we wouldn’t speak for days. But, things took a turn for the better in the 11th grade when our parents gifted us a scooty for our school commute.

We were both thrilled by this newfound sense of freedom and almost every day after school, we’d stop by a nearby shop to enjoy our favourite rolls. It was during these moments that we rekindled our bond and truly became friends, sharing our thoughts and lives with each other once more. Now, I consider my brother not just as family but as a friend (though I’m not sure if he sees it the same way). I know that if I ever find myself in trouble, he would be the first person I’d turn to for help.”

The respectful younger brother

Ananya, a Branded Content Producer at AAE, shares a unique experience of having a younger brother. While every brother enjoys insulting their sisters, she says, “I grew up looking at brothers making fun of their sisters in front of everyone, no matter how she feels. But my brother, even though he is younger than me, always treated me with respect. We had our fair share of fighting and yelling at each other, but as we grew older and began to understand each other even more, we bonded over sneaky take-outs and late-night movie marathons. He is always there for me. Even though he has grown taller than me, to me, he’ll always be my little brother.”

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