Rakhi Rejected: A Tale of Brother's Greed

In a serene town surrounded by the lush greenery of India, there lived a family bound by traditions, yet destined to be torn apart by greed and betrayal. The matriarch of this family, Savitri Devi, was a dignified woman who had led a full life alongside her husband. They had raised three children together: Priya, Meera, and their youngest, Rajiv. Savitri's life had been filled with love and challenges, but it was only in her later years, after the passing of her husband, that she truly faced the harshest of trials.

Savitri Devi was widowed at an old age, after she and her husband had seen their children grow into adults. Rajiv remained at home, the dutiful son, while Priya and Meera had married and moved away to start families of their own. The family, though physically separated, remained close in their hearts. Or so it seemed.

With her husband gone, Savitri found herself contemplating the future of her family. The cultural norms that had shaped her upbringing still held sway over her decisions, and when she finally decided to draft her will, she found herself favoring Rajiv more than her daughters. This decision wasn’t made out of malice; rather, it was influenced by the belief that as the son, Rajiv bore the greater responsibility for maintaining the family’s legacy. Little did she know that this choice would set the stage for a painful rift among her children.

After Savitri’s passing, the family was plunged into a period of mourning. Rajiv, the son who had stayed by his mother’s side until the end, took charge of the family’s affairs. Priya and Meera, devastated by the loss of both their parents in such a short span of time, found solace in their own families, unaware of the storm that was brewing.

In the days following Savitri’s funeral, Rajiv convened a meeting with his sisters to discuss the will. With a heavy heart, he told them that the will was locked away in a bank and that there were some complications in accessing it. Priya and Meera, still reeling from their grief, accepted his explanation without much thought. They trusted their brother implicitly, never imagining that he might have any ulterior motives.

As the months turned into years, the sisters grew increasingly concerned about the delay in settling their mother’s estate. Rajiv, however, continued to reassure them that he was handling everything and that they had nothing to worry about. He claimed that the bank was taking longer than expected to release the will and that there were legal complexities that needed to be resolved. Priya and Meera, occupied with their own lives and families, did not push the issue too hard. They believed that their brother had their best interests at heart.

What they didn’t know was that Rajiv had already accessed the will and discovered that their mother had left him the majority of the estate. Despite this significant share, his greed knew no bounds. He devised a plan to cheat his sisters out of their rightful inheritance, aiming to claim even more than what had been allocated to him.

Rajiv began to fabricate stories, telling his sisters that he was negotiating the sale of the property their mother had left them. He insisted that the process was complex and that only he could manage it effectively. Priya and Meera, trusting him, allowed him to take control. Meanwhile, Rajiv continued to delay any real progress, all the while scheming to pocket the proceeds from the sale of the property.

For two to three years, Rajiv stalled, using one excuse after another to keep his sisters at bay. He claimed that the real estate market was unstable, that buyers were indecisive, and that he was doing everything in his power to ensure they received a fair deal. Priya and Meera, though increasingly frustrated, did not want to jeopardize their relationship with their brother by pushing too hard. They accepted his explanations, albeit with growing unease.

However, as time passed, the sisters began to grow suspicious of Rajiv’s motives. They noticed that he was becoming more secretive and elusive, and he avoided discussing the details of the sale. Priya and Meera, who had always been close, started to confide in each other, sharing their doubts and fears. They decided to take matters into their own hands and investigate the situation more thoroughly.

Their first step was to contact the bank where their mother’s will was supposedly locked away. To their astonishment, they learned that the will had been accessed by Rajiv long ago, without any of the complications he had mentioned. The bank officials informed them that there had been no delays or issues and that Rajiv had retrieved the will without any problems. Priya and Meera were shocked and heartbroken. They realized that their brother had been lying to them all along.

Determined to uncover the full extent of Rajiv’s deception, the sisters pressed further. They reached out to the potential buyers Rajiv had mentioned and discovered that no serious negotiations had ever taken place. The buyers confirmed that Rajiv had made initial contact but had never followed through with any offers. Priya and Meera’s worst fears were confirmed: their brother had been deceiving them from the start, all in an attempt to cheat them out of their inheritance.

With this newfound knowledge, Priya and Meera confronted Rajiv. They demanded that he hand over the keys and the necessary property documents so they could manage the sale themselves. Rajiv, realizing that his scheme had been uncovered, tried to deflect the blame, accusing his sisters of being ungrateful and paranoid. But Priya and Meera stood firm. They were determined to take control of their own destinies and reclaim what was rightfully theirs.

With the help of a trusted lawyer, Priya and Meera managed to sell the property independently, without Rajiv’s interference. The sale went through smoothly, and they received their fair share of the proceeds. However, the victory came at a great cost. The fallout from the deception was severe, and the bond between the siblings was irreparably damaged. Rajiv, consumed by anger and resentment over his lost opportunity to profit from his sisters’ inheritance, cut all ties with them. He refused to speak to them, blaming them for exposing his deceit and ruining his plans.

The final rupture occurred during the Raksha Bandhan festival, a time when brothers and sisters traditionally celebrate their bond by exchanging gifts and tying the sacred rakhi. Priya, hoping to heal the rift, sent Rajiv a rakhi, a symbol of love and protection. But Rajiv, still seething with anger, rejected the rakhi. He returned it to Priya, a clear message that he no longer considered her his sister. This rejection was a deep insult, not only to Priya but also to the spirit of the festival, which honours the enduring bond between siblings.

The story of Rajiv, Priya, and Meera is not just a tale of familial betrayal but also a reflection of the ongoing struggles within many Indian families. It highlights the deep-rooted cultural biases that continue to shape family dynamics and the treatment of women in Indian society. Rajiv’s behaviour, driven by greed and a misguided sense of entitlement, is sadly not an isolated case. It raises a troubling question: if brothers can act with such deceit and greed, what sister would ever desire a brother like that?

The case of Rajiv and his sisters underscores the urgent need for societal change. While legal reforms are important, they alone cannot address the cultural biases that fuel such behaviour. Families need to move beyond outdated traditions that prioritize sons over daughters and recognize the equal worth of all their children. Only then can the bonds between siblings be truly celebrated and cherished, as they were meant to be.