It’s Bhai Dooj tomorrow, and on the occasion, actress Athiya Shetty talks to us about the special bond she shares with her younger brother Ahan, which has significantly evolved over the years.

Diwali is the coming together of family for me. It was about reuniting with cousins and grandparents, gorging on yummy food and puja. It has always been tradition heavy. Growing up, we spent the festival in Goa a lot. The celebrations have evolved as we evolved. Now it’s become more special because I have my own home. We did a puja there for the first time this year.

I have many brothers. Six on each side of the family. So bhai dooj was about lots of masti and creating great memories. bhai dooj is not just a one-day thing. We celebrate siblings every day and ensure we catch up every Sunday when we go to my parents’ house for lunch. That’s a tradition we have been following since we were born -- cousins coming together and spending time together. I have a great relationship not just with Ahan but also my cousins. We may not be at the same place all the time, but our bond is solid.

Ahan and I used to fight a lot as kids. My mother wondered if we would ever get along in life. We have a 3-year age difference so the fights would be heavy, lots of physical beating as well. We were grounded almost every weekend because we would get into fights. Now we are best friends and buddies. He is the most important person in my life, and I am extremely protective of him. Everyone knows no one can mess with Ahan, else they will have to mess with me. Over the years it has become like that. We are each other’s sounding board today. We know how to deal with our parents if we are stuck in a sticky situation, we help each other out. There are so many girls who might say that they wish they had a sister, but I don’t feel that way. Ahan is a blessing for me. My parents gave me a little brother so that I can have this endearing friendship for life. I feel deeply indebted to them for it.

Ahan is the calm to my storm. I admire his calmness to the point that I am jealous of it. Both Ahan and Rahul are calm and composed. They are so sorted that it drives me crazy! I wish I was as calm as them. Ahan is loyal and a self-assured person. His morals are intact, and he is extremely righteous. Whoever he meets, he makes that person feel special, valued, respected, and important. Though he is the younger one, he is more like my elder brother. He is wiser, mature, honest and has had his head on his shoulders since he was a child. He is more responsible, is the voice of reason and balances out my personality. Whenever I need some advice, he will always give that objective, neutral perspective. He is very real with me. He is true to his words, and I respect that about him the most. I have always looked up to him for that. Our relationship has only got better. We don’t live at my parents’ house anymore as I have my own house and that has made me not take my family for granted. We look forward to spending quality time with each other now.

Occasionally we still have our fights, we argue. I constantly feel I need to protect him and ensure he is happy and doing okay. That can sometimes come across as overbearing but I am just that older protective sister. With siblings, everything is so organic. We will be screaming at each other and the next minute we will be fine and will talk casually as if nothing happened. You forget what you fought about. We are non-confrontational, chill, and super easy. I like that. As you grow older, you realize the importance of siblings. They go through life with you. They teach you to be a better person. They are your permanent friends. It’s a rewarding, free-flowing experience. Siblings make your life better and difficult at the same time (laughs).