Unbreakable

Love is beautiful, isn’t it? It’s everywhere, in people, animals, nature. And while most love stories are about romantic partners, mine is different. This story is about the love I have for my brother.

We’re separated by a few years, just three and a month if you count it exactly. Growing up, we annoyed each other endlessly. But everything changed the day he left for his hostel. The first morning he was gone, I woke up suddenly, almost expecting to hear his voice calling me awake. Realizing he wasn’t there, I cried. When he came home again, it felt like a piece of me had returned.

He’s been through his share of struggles, and at times, he was a bit of a troubled kid. Sometimes it frustrated me, but none of that ever chipped away at my love for him. We’ve laughed, cried, and faced our own battles, but we’ve always supported each other. No matter how far apart we were, distance never made a difference.

When our dad passed, ait hit us both, but it broke him in ways I’ll never forget. He’d spent that entire day at the hospital, running from one test to another for Dad, only to witness his last breath. By the time I arrived and realized Dad was gone, I crumbled. But looking at my brother, I knew that while I’d lost an incredible father, he had lost his best friend, his partner, his other half. He was the most affected.

People around us tried to comfort me, saying I was strong and would cope, but they worried about him. They called him sensitive and too kind-hearted for this world. I hated hearing that. Today, I understand their concern, but they were wrong. He’s compassionate, yes, but he’s anything but weak. In losing our father, he bore a depth of loss that few could understand, and he carried it with remarkable strength.

From that day, I began to feel more like the older sibling, determined to protect him in any way I could. We’ve faced hardship and grief together, reminding each other that we’re survivors. No matter what life throws our way, we’re like walls for each other unbreakable and always standing firm.

And while I haven’t spoken much here about our mom, she’s the strongest of us all, deserving of a story all her own.

But, this one is for you, my brother. Until death parts us, my love for you is boundless. I’ll carry it to my grave. To my dearest brother, Aditya.