She says, "I don't celebrate Raksha Bandhan. I don't have a brother, sister, mother or father. Whatever I am today is because of my hard work and nothing else. Nobody has been instrumental in my success."
But Rakesh Sawant, the lesser- known brother of the famous sister still harbours the hope that his sister will return to their family some day and celebrate the festival with him. He says, "Blood is thicker than water. I hope Rakhi soon realises that her family will always support her unconditionally."
Rewind to the past Rakesh goes down memory lane, saying, "I was put up in a boarding school and Rakhi had already tasted success in Bollywood. This was in 1991, three years after she had stopped tying a rakhi as her work kept her occupied. My friends teased me that my sister wouldn't come that year too, but I didn't give up hope. I secretly prayed and she was the first to reach that morning to celebrate the festival with me."
Negative influence By his confession, the item queen had severed all ties with Rakesh under her former boyfriend Abhishek Awasthi's influence. Says Rakesh, "She might not follow rituals, but she keeps a regular tab on me and my work. She is a friend, philosopher and guide to me. I must admit that Christianity has made her calmer and a quieter person. I am hopeful like I was in 1991 during my boarding school days that Rakhi will soon visit me with a rakhi.
