The Unspoken Role

SHORT STORY

The Unspoken Role

By Amna Khan

Dear Diary,

Sometimes, I wonder why being the eldest sister comes with so many responsibilities. I love my younger sisters and always want the best for them, but sometimes I forget that I also need rest, time for my studies, and someone to look after me.

When Ammi and Abbu left for another city in January, the house felt different. I felt an emptiness inside me because they were not there. I knew that for the next three days, I would have to manage many things without them. I was not their replacement, but I had to take responsibility for my sisters and fulfil my duties as they usually did. I knew it would not be easy, but I wanted to make sure my sisters did not face any difficulties while our parents were away.

On the first morning, my alarm rang early. The January air was cold, and I wanted to stay in my warm bed for a few more minutes. However, my sisters had to get ready for school, so I got up and went to prepare their uniforms.

“Baji, where is my uniform?” one of my sisters called from the other room.

“I am ironing it. Give me a few minutes,” I replied.

I carefully ironed their uniforms and placed them on the bed. Then I went to the kitchen to prepare their food. The smell of breakfast filled the kitchen while I moved from one task to another, checking the time again and again.

“Have you packed your books?” I asked them.

“Yes, Baji!” they replied.

“Please check once more. Make sure you have your notebooks and pencil cases.”

I checked their school bags because I always worried that they might forget something important. Even when my eyes felt heavy with sleep, I wanted to make sure they had everything they needed before leaving for school.

After they left, I looked around the house. There were clothes to fold, things to put away, and other tasks waiting for me. I started working, thinking I would finish everything quickly. But one task led to another, and the morning passed before I realised it.

The same routine continued for the next two days. I woke up early, prepared my sisters for school, arranged their things, prepared food, and managed the household work. I also kept thinking about their studies and upcoming papers. Their exams were never just ordinary papers to me. I worried about their preparation because I wanted them to do well.

Sometimes, I would ask, “Have you revised everything for your paper?”

One of them would answer, “Baji, I have studied. Don't worry.”

“I am only asking because I want you to be prepared,” I would say.

I knew I could not sit their exams for them, but I wanted to make sure they had everything they needed to do their best.

By the third day, I began to understand how much effort went into managing a home and caring for children. Small tasks seemed simple when someone else did them, but doing all of them together was different. There was always something else to remember, prepare, or finish.

I missed Ammi and Abbu more than I had expected. I began to notice the little things Ammi usually did without making a big deal of them. I also thought about Abbu and the responsibilities he managed for our family. Their absence made me appreciate their efforts more than before.

When they returned, I felt relieved to have them home. The house felt complete again. I was happy to see them, and I also felt proud that I had managed everything as best I could during those three days.

That experience changed the way I looked at my role in the family. Before those three days, I knew that being the eldest sister meant helping my younger sisters. However, I had not fully understood how much patience, attention, and responsibility it required.

I realised that I often worried about my sisters' needs before thinking about my own. I wanted their uniforms to be ready, their bags to be complete, and their papers to go well. Their happiness mattered to me, but I was learning that my own needs mattered, too.

Dear Diary, I am still their elder sister, and I will always try to guide and support them. But I have also learned that I do not have to be perfect or manage everything alone. My parents' responsibilities are much greater than I had imagined, and those three days gave me a small glimpse of their daily efforts.

Being the eldest sister is not always easy. It means caring for others, even when you are tired, but it should not mean forgetting yourself. I can love my sisters, help my family, and still make time for my own dreams.

Perhaps that is the unspoken role of an eldest sister: learning to care for others while remembering that she, too, deserves care.

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