One brother. And three beautiful sisters.

Sadly, my brother's holiday and mine don't coincide. To go visit my family in Los Angeles without him being there would feel overwhelmingly incomplete.

So Im here in Bangalore, and will remain throughout the Raya celebrations.

I never really felt sad about not seeing my family this raya, that is until I reread a note my sister once gave me, which I keep in my wallet.

During last Raya before I came back to India, she had written it and given it to me.

Between me and the three girls there's an age gap. So before they came along it was just bang mal, my brother and dik yen, me. Hanee the youngest one never caught on that she should call me abang, so she switches between dik and bang alot.

During that raya I introduced Hafeeza the eldest of the three to contact lenses. I got her blue ones, which Haneesa really liked. She kept stealing one blue contact, and ran around the house with one blue eye with her sister chasing her.

Here's a picture with Aleena too (far right). Lucky I have her picture here, she runs away from cameras now when people take pictures.

Reading the Raya wish Hanee wrote me, I remember at the airport she ran after me crying when I left the security guard after saying all our goodbyes. It was quite heartbreaking.

So yeah I miss my family, and this raya Ill not be there. But Ill see you all soon one day.

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