14 July 2006
Shobhna Raizada, 22, is studying to be a doctor of pharmacy at Houston University. Her cousin Charu Raizada is a student of BBM at Mahe Manipal, Dubai campus.
They share a passion for music and dance and, like all other girls, love shopping.
They tell us what keeps them close.
Charu and I are more sisters than cousins. Our fathers, who are brothers, are very close to each other and our mothers have taken all steps to keep the family bond intact.
My brother Amol is the eldest of the four of us. Charu has a brother, Ankur. But I am younger than both Amol and Ankur.
As children, I felt ignored when the two would play their own games. They did not deliberately ignore me, but I guess they were boys and therefore had different interests.
Support
So when aunty was to have a second child, I prayed hard that it would be a girl for I desperately wanted a sister.
I was 3 when Charu was born and its hard to describe the joy I felt when aunty brought her home from the hospital. Now I had someone to support me when things got rough with Amol and Ankur.
Both my parents are doctors and due to their demanding schedules, Amol and I were often looked after by aunty and uncle.
Moreover, weekends were always spent together. In fact, aunty is like my second mother. She never let me feel my mother's absence and always pampered me. I've always felt like we are one family. So, Charu and I have always been close.
She is also very patient while I tend to get a little frustrated if things don't go the way they are supposed to. But, she's always there to shoo away my fears. I've always felt one should be like her and when I am with her, it tends to rub off on me.
She's very intelligent and up-to-date about everything. She is very organised and also fashion conscious.
If she shops for a dress or even a T-shirt, she'll make sure she has accessories to match. And when we go shopping, she'll see to it that I do it too. Our shopping excursions are real fun.
Back again
We've definitely grown closer over the years. In between we did drift apart because I went away to university but now we're closer than ever.
We share everything with each other. She's there to comfort me when I need it and I admire the fact that she sees positive in everything. We're really good friends.
Charu Raizada
It's hard to describe my relationship with Shobhna. We've always been very close but to put it in words is extremely difficult. We're like two peas in a pod.
Actually, four, with Amol and Ankur. I can only say she's very very sweet. She is a very loving and sincere person. She's outgoing and friendly with everyone she meets.
Having fun
What I admire about her is that she's living all alone in the US. For all my boldness, it's hard for me to see myself in that situation. I know she tends to worry about the future and keeps dwelling on things. I try and pull her out of it.
When she's visiting, I make sure we do all our girly things, like shopping, going out together, catching up with our friends or simply chilling at home.
In case, there is a family birthday or anniversary or any other occasion, we work on the celebrations together. We had great fun at Amol's wedding in Delhi recently. We put together a dance drama which was much appreciated by everyone.
I only pray we stay like this together always. All four of us.
By Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2006. All rights reserved.
