E-Paper
Editor’s Note: The non-binary bandhan
Meghna Pant and Sorabh Pant’s stories celebrate the strength of their bond
Am I a crusty old editor who doesn’t like heart-warming stories anymore, I asked myself as I sent today’s cover story back to the writer to be rewritten more than a couple of times.
I’m all for younger people who want to keep our traditions and adapt them to today’s times, I said, prodding the writer to ask about how Raksha Bandhan is looked at today. What I got instead, was a saccharine sweet story about a brother and sister standing up for each other in childhood, as well as when they became adults, and my new in-arm glucose monitor started going berserk.
Meghna and Sorabh aren’t just pretty celeb faces, I said. Both are authors, have a sense of humour and an understanding of the times… why can’t we get more than tributes, I asked in exasperation.
What I got in the drafts that followed is what you will see in the pages of this magazine.
Sister Meghna Pant is the “protector” between the siblings: she saved Sorabh from bullies in childhood, while it was the bullying that made Sorabh work on his sense of humour, to use when needed as a protective mechanism.
On his part, Sorabh stood by Meghna as she left her abusive marriage, encouraged her to become a writer, and protected her on social media by ensuring she didn’t post any controversial tweets that may have landed her in trouble.
Sorabh and Meghna show that there’s no girl-boy divide that is often visible in families where the siblings are of different genders. There’s just camaraderie, love and support.
Through the sweet stories this sister-brother duo tell us today, we hope you will see the modern day dynamic that celebrates the strength of a bond without pitting one against the other.
I smiled through Meghna and Sorabh Pant’s anecdotes even though I’m a crusty old editor. I’m certain you will too.
Also in this issue: Mental health advocate Nikhil Taneja questions the blind following social media algorithms evoke… do a few likes and virtual followers deserve so much of our attention?
Actor Rytasha Rathore, who essayed the part of a girl suffering from depression in the recently-released Masaba Masaba, writes about her own personal ups and downs with the disease no one should run away from.
And the star actor of the moment, Vikrant Massey, in an otherwise flippant Q&A, slips in how he’s currently engaged with two therapists who help him when needed…!
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From HT Brunch, August 13, 2022
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