You are a sweet brother
Very humble and understated by nature
Rarely, do you get angry
Most of the time, are you happy!

You are a sweet brother
Your spouse is an amazing sister
I love your approach to life
Quite well, do you handle strife!!

You are a sweet brother
Your calmness, greatly do I admire
You are a wonderful husband
Shruti and you share such a cute bond!!

You are a sweet brother
One of a kind, you are
Often, do you go through work stress
However, seldom do you not show everybody who's the boss!!

You are a sweet brother
Beautiful, is your character
You possess the innocence of a child
Sometimes, are you too kind!!

You are a sweet brother
And will be part of my family forever
Please come to Mumbai soon
We shall have a lot of fun
I want you to always keep that classic smile on your handsome face
May you be blessed with everything you desire, always!!

A very very dear cousin, you are
Always, have you shown me unconditional love and care
So lucky am I, to have you in my life
Been my bedrock have you, in times of strife!

A very very dear cousin, you are
All my rants, are you ready to hear
Really, are you patient to the core
Especially given that, off late I have been a bit of a bother
What all have you done for me, I am just unable to count
Truly do I love you as a sister, from the bottom of my heart!!

A very very dear cousin, you are
Interacting with you is such a pleasure
That I often wish the conversation never ends
Yes, greatly do I treasure our long calls and voice note exchanges
In recent weeks though, often have I tested your patience
However, I respect you loads
And I assure you that I will learn from my mistakes
And more importantly, act on my words!!

A very very dear cousin, you are
My heart beats for you, now and forever
Deeply, do I value your advice
In fact, have you helped me become a better person
Having you on my side is indeed a massive boon!!

A very very dear cousin, you are
So much, do I love your mother
So gentle, humble and understated, is your father
And Pradeep is so, so cool
Well, I love you all
Please do keep that smile on your kind face
And hope we soon meet, face to face!!

We share many beautiful memories
Because, are we beautiful brothers
From childhood to adolescence to adulthood
Our relationship has never been less than very very good!

We share many beautiful memories
Playing cricket on the streets
And of course inside the house
Making a mockery of cricket rules in the process
For example, a one-handed one-pitch catch
Could win you the match
Or even better, getting beaten would be considered out
However, best of all was book cricket
Where India would score a thousand runs
And the opposing team would be shot out for less than fifty runs!!

We share many beautiful memories
Playing many Cric07 matches
You teaching me the "D-shot"
Myself as Steve Harmison playing 400 ***** without a single attacking shot
Pitching the ball on the wicketkeeper's legs
For sure, would we have outraged many cricket lovers!!

We share many beautiful memories
My unnaturally high-pitched laugh during the beginning of my teens
You having to explain cricket rules to me all over again
Though I had not REALLY forgotten
The hilarious Yelagiri boat incident
For hysterics, did I have some kind of talent!!

We share many beautiful memories
Listening to AR Rahman songs of the glorious late nineties
Before you converted me to a Harris Jayaraj fan
And more than a decade later, a Santhosh Narayanan fan!!

We share many beautiful memories
You and Shreeja teasing me multiple times
About the "Gulmohar Malare" song
Thanks to this, YouTube did I start watching!!

We share many beautiful memories
Playing the game "20 Questions"
Involving cricket as well as Harry Potter
Having multiple debates on Harry Potter
Comparing the movies with the books
This would go on for hours!!

We share many beautiful memories
Having multiple get-togethers with our relatives
Watching cricket matches at Ranga Periappa's house
Getting treated to Sizzling Brownies at Opal Inn
And can I go on and on
However, as per my idol Dr. Meena Kandasamy's advice sage
A poem has to stop at some stage
So, Dear Bro, hope you enjoyed reading
As much as I enjoyed writing!!

A very dear brother, you are
Warm and friendly by nature
Also, are you quite street smart
You would make Ravenclaw proud, with your quick wit
So happy am I, to have you in my life
Greatly dependable are you, in times of strife!

A very dear brother, you are
For me, a lot do you care
Fun to talk with, all the time
I can remember not, when we had not a splendid time!!

A very dear brother, you are
Almost nothing, do you fear
From kid to teenager to adult
Always, have you been difficult to beat
In many a debate
Irrespective of the topic
Trains, Harry Potter, music
Animals, food, cricket, politics
The list is endless!!

A very dear brother, you are
A fantastic bond, do we share
Your patience and fortitude, I can forget not
When we once missed a flight
Owing mainly to my behaviour
Really, are you quite the saviour!!

A very dear brother, you are
And will be forever
May you have a **** exciting future
Come true, may all your deepest desires
Have fun, take care and soon I'll meet you
Forevermore, may the Almighty bless you!!

I love you, dear brother
And for you, will I always be there
Always, have we been close
Right from our school days
Playing a lot of street cricket
Having loads of entertainment
In the form of masala movies
Listening to AR Rahman classics
Debating on Harry Potter-related topics
Playing carrom and chess
The list used to be endless!

I love you, dear brother
So much fun, have we had together
As children, teenagers, adults
Indeed, have we had many a memorable moment
Playing cricket inside the house
And creating a fair amount of chaos
Racking up highly unrealistic totals in book cricket
Going up to the terrace in the evening
And in the process, watching bats
A fair amount of travelling
Especially when it came to trains
Playing the game "20 Questions"
In regards to both cricket and Harry Potter
Going on talking and talking till the wee hours
On a variety of topics
Seriously, were those days epic!!

I love you, dear brother
For me, have you always been there
Advising me from time to time
Always managing to stay calm
Whenever have I gone on ranting and ranting
Taking time out for me while working
Being a shoulder to cry on
Checking on me often
Bringing out the best in me
Not to mention, I'm sure you will agree
It was thanks to you
That I became such an ardent fan of Harris Jayaraj!!

I love you, dear brother
You are going to have an exciting future
So happy am I, for you
Now, is a treat due
Soon, will we meet
Wish you all the very best
And may God bless you
With a truckload of love, happiness, peace and prosperity!!

You are my sister
Very privileged am I, to be your brother
Yes, technically are you my cousin
However, that's like saying nothing
Because, to me, are you very dear
And thanks to you, need I not fear!

You are my sister
Beautiful, is your character
Not that you lack external beauty, though
Ignoring you is as tough
As clearing CA in the first attempt
At understanding people, are you very adept!!

You are my sister
Like you, can there be no other
As sweet as milk chocolate
And impossible to hate
You are also very brutally honest
And never do you boast!!

You are my sister
Often can I be a great bother
However, you are exceedingly patient
And never are you absent
When I am in need
Sometimes, your advice have I failed to heed
But you have taught me valuable lessons
And helped make me a better person!!

You are my sister
Last year, many times have I been rather bitter
However, for me have you always been there
Even if I have been a massive bore
For my behaviour, will I make amends
May we strengthen our bond!!

You are my sister
With you, would I love to banter
Not to mention, are you a fabulous mother
And soft and silky as a feather!!
May God bless you, my dear
For you, do I deeply care
I repeat, you are my sister
And very proud am I, to be your brother!!

You are not exactly a sibling of mine
However, you are my sister
And that's all that matters, according to me
What would I do without you?
I rant and rant
Knowing that you are an amazing listener
And a shoulder to cry on
However, it is providing sound advice
Where you are really in your element
Not to mention, you don't beat around the bush
Nor do you sugarcoat things
Both of which, are qualities that resonate with me particularly well
Moreover, you always offer a fresh perspective
Whether it be work or personal stuff
Best of all, though, you are ice cool
I seriously don't know how you manage to do it
Because, in these two months, I've been behind you
And there hasn't been a single week
When you haven't been subjected to a barrage of messages
Would I have taken such liberties with you
If I weren't sure how you would react?
The answer is a resounding no
Moreover, not only are you cool with it
You also come up with solutions
For each and every problem
As I write this, things are looking up
And in no small part due to you
I'm extremely grateful to God
For giving me a sister like you
As I said earlier, what would I do without you?

There are many kinds of love
Romantic love, the most common
And also the most overrated
Family love, probably the most beautiful
And most unconditional as well
Platonic love, or friend love
Again, simple and unconditional
Something that has become very popular these days
Which leaves us with.....cousin love
Yes, one of the most underrated forms of love
Seeing as it is not frequently talked about
Well, most families stick together
So do best friends
However, there are a few things
Which you may not feel comfortable sharing with your family
Usually, the best option is to share such things
With your friends instead
Or rather, your best friend
But then, it is also possible
That you may not have a best friend
In such a case, your best bet would be your cousins
Cousins are part of your extended family
And they also know your immediate family well
Remember, you don't always have to choose between two extremes
Sometimes, you have to take a middle path
That's exactly where your cousins come in
Because they will listen to you fully
Without getting too emotionally involved or overprotective
And in addition, they may have suggestions
That might not have occurred to your family or friends
So, cousins are more important
Than most people might think
And it is high time
That we start showing love to our cousins as well
Along with family and friends, of course
But yes, not all cousins are the same
Just as it is better to have a select few close friends
With whom you can share anything
Rather than a big group of fair weather friends
It equally makes sense
To maintain close relationships with a select few cousins
Who mean the world to you
And always have time for you
Yes, cousin love is extremely underrated
But at the same time, very valuable
And something to be cherished, forever