India, July 3 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi today surprised everyone at a press interaction after the 16th India-Japan annual summit when he referred to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as "little sister."

While many thought it was a sign of PM Modi venting his emotions, something that he rarely does, the real reason lay in the restricted conversation that took place between PM Modi and PM Takaichi at Hyderabad House.

According to officials privy to conversations, PM Takaichi told her Indian counterpart that late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was like her elder brother and she looked up to him. Apparently PM Takaichi said that since Abe San had a lot of affection and respect for PM Modi, she now looked towards him as her elder broth...