HYDERABAD: It is again sister who acts like mother as well as father for Sowmya. “My sister Shreya has been staying in another city – first for her studies and then for her job – for about 10 years now. But she is always just a call away from me. Be it some health issue that I am going through or something upsetting me at my work place, she is the one I share with,” says Sowmya. She also considers her as her inspiration.
Arijit Das, a photography student from Osmania University tells us that his father, Biswanath Das, plays a major role in disciplining his life. “Though I am 21 years old now, my father makes sure that I am home early by calling me at regular intervals. He supports me when everyone else at home is against me. During summers, I have some seven to eight bottles in my bedroom. The moment my father realises that they are empty, he refills them in next five to ten minutes,” he grins adding that his father teaches him life’s lessons, referring to his experiences.
They fill your water bottles so that you stay hydrated, help you complete your homework, stand by you even when you are wrong just so that you don’t feel low, guide you whenever you are in need. If you think that only mothers can do all this then think twice.
pratima shantaveeresh takes a look at all those ‘others’ who play the role of mothers
Giving another example of elder sister playing mother’s role is Iranus Arengh from Shillong, who came to Hyderabad to pursue higher studies. He stays with his sister, Rubina, in the city and says that it is his sister who keeps him away from feeling home sick. “Starting from waking me up in the morning, she takes care of my food to everything that my mom would do if I was with her. She sometimes annoys me, but I respect her love for me,” he shares emotionally.
While father is an extension of his mother for Arijit, Sudha’s sister Sony Singh considers Sudha to be her first born. “She is seven years elder to me and has been looking after me like her child. She also calls me her first born. She knows I am naughty, which is why she keeps track of my whereabouts even after being married for two and a half years,” shares Sudha adding that her sister makes sure all her wishes are fulfilled. “I just have to tell her what I want. She will get it for me as soon as possible,” she beams.
But for Harsha Sai, journalism student at University of Hyderabad, his aunt, with whom he stays in the city, fulfills the void of his mother. She wakes him in the morning, prepares his favourite dishes and also stands by his side when his elder cousin brother scolds him when he does something wrong. “She doesn’t want to spoil me, but she doesn’t want me to miss my mom,” he says.