Swetha Banda

Someone once asked me what I would want if I were granted a wish. I replied that I would ask for an elder sister. When my mother was expecting a second baby, I was 6 years old. I distinctly remember saying that I wanted a sister and that I had already decided a name for her. Well, my brother was born and I couldn't give him the name I had thought of. I do love having a brother and we have had really good times. But somewhere at the back of my mind, I still wish I had a sister too. While growing up, I saw friends who have sisters and they wanted to kill each other all the time. They fought over everything and they were as different as chalk and cheese. But as we all grew up, somehow the sisters got closer and their relationships matured. The same siblings who couldn't stand to be around each other, now talk to each other everyday, even if they are on different continents. I have grown up watching my mother and her sister talk to each other about everything in their lives an...

Growing up having a large extended family meant attending atleast one wedding every summer. My mother's side of the family is especially big and I got to attend quite a few weddings. South Indian weddings are very unique in the sense that they are about everything other than the bride and the groom. Typically, you'd find the bride and groom sitting clueless on a pedestal surrounded by the several pundits, all the aged grand parents, several aunts and some cousins. Added to this crowd, there is a photographer from both sides. Let's not forget the noisy kids running around on the Mandap  playing tag and catch. I was once at a wedding of a friend whose South American friend seated next to me pointed out to me how normal everyone thought it was that the bride and groom were talking over the mobile phone while the wedding ceremony was taking place. I was suddenly struck by how little the bride and the grooms involvement in the ceremony really seemed to be. On a lighter note, ...