What It’s Like To Live With A Huge Number Of Siblings!

From “enjoying” a traveling experience with a number of people stuffed in the back seat of the car to the need of ordering food in large quantity that may or may not even suit the appetite of everyone in the family- welcome to a typical desi family with a number of siblings.

We hate them, yet we love them. We adore them, yet we want to kill them for stealing our food. We want to take control/bully them, yet we cannot stop sharing our things with them. Maybe U2 were thinking about siblings when they wrote “I can’t live, with or without you.”

We want to take control of them yet we will call them for their share. There exists an unusual relationship between siblings and when you are a part of a sub-continental desi family, this relationship gets magnified.

If you have more than two siblings, I am sure you’ll be able to relate to the following list:

What is that “quiet family dinner” you speak of?

First of all, you will never get to experience a quiet family dinner where you can eat peacefully while the only noise is of a soft touch of a spoon with a dish. You would rather spend the time ordering your “chotta bhai/behen” to bring you water or you’ll be the one getting water for your elder sibling.

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But if that’s not the case, there will always be some sort of “discussion” amongst the siblings. A discussion that may lead to a WWE brawl after dinner.

Privacy? Never Heard of It Before

Planning to sit in your room quietly and think about the ways of life, condition of your country or even start watching a movie? Maybe even read a book?

None of this is possible since the sibling brigade will always be there to distract you. “Kya kar rae hu?” “Aaj pata hai kya hua?” “Meri baat tou suno”

I am sure I am not the only who has to take her earphones out of her ears almost 45642324 times a day (in the middle of a movie) just to listen to what my siblings have to say to me.

Leaving Your Favourite Food in the Fridge? How Stupid Are You?

Siblings are people who seem to have infinite hunger and they will never hold back if they find something good to eat in the fridge or the kitchen.

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If you left a half-eaten chicken leg piece for later, you will only find its bones in the dustbin when you go back. How did that happen? Ask that sibling of yours who just burped loudly in front of you (yes, they will do that too).

Our Families Help the Doodh-Wala Run his Business Pretty Well

With such a large family where most of you are in love with flavoured (or even plain) milk, your parents obviously buy lots of quantity of milk just so that everyone can have their fair share.

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On the other hand, our desi needs require a cup of tea every day. That is where one sibling is the “dhabay wala chotta”. The “chaye wala chotta” is responsible for making the large quantity of tea every evening. Sad if you are that “chotta”.

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Infinite Number of Dishes to Wash

You dread the day when it is your turn to wash dishes. A normal household may only have 10-15 dirty dishes after a normal three-meal day but, your house produces about 16 bowls, 10 glasses, 27 dishes and much more.

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Good luck with that, you will need it.

Siblings Wearing Other Sibling’s Clothes is a Normal Thing

Every kid in a large family will at least once get to wear hand-me-down clothes that do not fit his/her elder brother/sister anymore.

For a desi family, it does not matter if the colours have faded over time. If it fits you, they are yours and you will wear them.

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Thank you for bearing with me in this long post while one of your siblings may be calling you for a meaningful conversation like

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