Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s sister, who is struggling to gain closure from her sibling’s death, took to Instagram on Monday to remember her brother fondly.
In a two-part post tinged with nostalgia, what-ifs and grief, Rajput’s sister wrote how their family had yearned for a son, but were blessed with a daughter instead after months of prayer and penance.
“Mumma considered me very lucky and often called me Lakshmi Ji. They continued with their Sadhna, and a year later my little brother was born. Right from the beginning he was a charmer, he mesmerised everyone with his beautiful smile and twinkling eyes,” said Rajput’s elder sister Shweta Singh Kirti. She also posted an image of their WhatsApp conversation where she’s imploring him to visit her in the US for a much-needed reboot for the actor.
Kirti, who moved to the US after her marriage in 2007, wrote about how protective she felt towards him and how sacred their bond had become. They functioned as a single unit and were joined at the hip during their younger days.
“They even called us ‘Gudia-Gulshan’ as if we were a single entity (Bhai’s nick was Gulshan and mine Gudia),” she wrote, adding that they played, ate and were mischievous together.
In an anecdote, Kirti recounted how Rajput depended on her for emotional support especially when he felt alienated in his school. His sister remembers a time when he walked more than a kilometer from his classroom to hers, as he felt lonely and wanted her to help him out. She chose to hide him in her classroom rather than dismissing his fears, says Kirti.
“And as a 5 year old protective big sister, I assured him that he can be with me. First, I tried to hide him in between me and my friend, but somehow my classteacher noticed him while taking attendance. I was myself a little scared, but to protect my little brother, I stood up and told her that he is not feeling well and asked if he could stay with us until dismissal. To my amazement, the teacher agreed and we were so happy, but little after 2 periods as the social norm will have it, he was sent back to his building but by that time we have had so much fun that all of his anxiety were gone,” wrote Rajput’s sister.
Their bond only grew stronger with time. Even as she got married in 2007 and moved away from India, the two continued to be a unit. Along with a snapshot of a WhatsApp conversation between them, she wrote how these memories helped her relive her childhood.
“I only wish I could have protected him from everything …. I still wish I will wake up to see my Bhai … just right next to me and will realize this whole episode was just a nightmare and nothing more. #BhaikikahaniBehankizabani #Downthememorylane #LuvuBhai.”
Rajput’s death continues to haunt Bollywood and his fans. In the ongoing investigation by the Mumbai police, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, Dharma Productions CEO Apoorva Mehta and more than 30 others from the industry and his inner circle have been called in to record their statements. There’s also a call to launch a CBI inquiry into his death.
Raput, who was found dead at his home in Mumbai on June 14, has opened a can of worms in Hindi show business. Actors such as Kangana Ranaut and Shekhar Kapur are eager to find out why Rajput took such a drastic step to end his life.
A volley of recriminations and accusations are also doing the rounds and discussions about Rajput being sidelined and his career being sabotaged by powerful producers in Bollywood are also being had.
His death still remains a mystery, but his family has been largely silent apart from expressing their grief at the irrevocable tragedy that has hit their home.
