Delhi Rellys

Delhi means many things to many people. It is a vast metropolis – a virtual continent to itself.

The view outside Victor and Sarah's house in Delhi. Every square foot of land is used!

Delhi is a paradoxical city – studded with money and greenery. This ethereal world inhabited by diplomat and the minister and the teeming masses of newspaper distributors and cooks and taxi drivers and masons and sweepers. This cross–roads of power and hard-scrabbled money – a collision between the aspirational worlds of the upwardly mobile professionals and the seedy-shabby-security-land of the innumerable folks who have got the coveted government jobs. And all around it the amoeba–like massive shanty-towns that fill in the blanks at the city’s ever expanding peripheries.

For me – as I tap this on a sleepy Sunday afternoon – where all the household is catching a nap in the late afternoon heat – the lights all off and the coolers on with fans fluttering in every room – for me Delhi is a place of relationships. We are blessed as a family to have two of our closest Rellys in Delhi.

Enoch on the steps going up to Victor and Sarah's place

It is no surprise then that when we do show up in this land of green autorickshaws and ancient monuments swallowed up in small genteel parks – that we spend the lions share of our time with our Rellys. I am writing from Sheba’s sister Sarah and my co-brother Victor’s place. They are blessed with the lovely Joanna – who with her current age of 9 is nestled neatly in between cousin Asha’s 10 years and cousin Enoch’s 8 spins around the sun.


Last night my brother Stefan and his lovely wife Neeru came over with their brace of kids- Ashish (almost 5) and Anjali – a sprightly 2 year old.

Enoch and Asha playing with Anjali on Joanna's green horse

Being the son of single parents – we had no cousins growing up. Though the extended OM family was there for us – we missed out on having cousin brothers and sisters. We are so glad this is not the case with our kids. They are part of a passel of 8 cousins so far. What fun to see our lovely ones spend these precious hours with each other.


Delhi means many things to many people – but to us it is primarily the place of our lovely Rellys. Delhi is also our gateway – we are scooping up Joanna – and taking her with us for 10 wonderful days in Mussoorie. Stefan and family are going ahead of us and we plan to have all 5 cousins at Shanti Kunj!

Victor and I enjoying the snacks that Asha and Joanna made for us