New Delhi, Sept. 10 -- A 44-year-old male client told me that he and his elder sister had a "functional relationship". They both took care of their father, came together for festivals and birthdays, exchanged gifts, and showed up during a crisis.

At the same time, he wondered what would happen once their father was no more. "My feeling is that we may not meet or check in, it will take the form of a friendship that exists though one doesn't make the effort to meet or invest in it. There is a resentment and anger that my sister carries.... I have tried to understand, but I don't know if we are capable of resolving it. It's the elephant in the room which our partners and children can see. I feel helpless," he added.

Sibling dynamics takes ...