A meet that changed the marital status of a cousin

With the advent of nuclear families and breaking up of joint families in our country, it’s seldom that relatives get to meet even once a year. The close relatives meet either on the retirement parties, marriage anniversary jubilees, and, of course, at weddings of children. A death also gives relatives a chance to see one another.

We are a motley of 40 cousins spread in USA, Canada, Dubai, Australia and cities such as Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Mumbai and Delhi. It was at a marriage function in Mussoorie that the idea to float a “Harmonious Cousins” WhatsApp group took place at the behest of Vandana Suri, a 60-year-old socialite, who had studied in Sacred Heart Convent School in Dalhousie decades back. Vandana added all the forty cousins to the group. But there was some disharmony in the group which led to the exit of 10 members, some of them even calling the group ‘a motley of disharmonious cousins’.

The group had four bankers, four officers from the Army and a few teachers. All of them were retired or on the verge of retirement. The idea to have a cousins’ meet was given by one of the members on her retirement day in Mumbai. Since most cousins could not attend the party in Mumbai, it was decided to have a cousins’ meet in the heart of the country — Delhi — which was convenient to most of the couples who were coming to attend the same. It took almost three months to plan the event and make arrangements for the comfortable stay of the relatives.

The venue to stay in Delhi was fixed in Anand Niketan, Defence Colony, and Dwarka in Delhi.

A bank account in the name of Harmonious Cousins’ meet was opened in a public sector bank and all the cousins who were willing to attend the meet were told to deposit a certain amount by a particular date. All the cousins were looking forward to attend this meet which was of a different type. The meet started with an invocation to God at Arya Samaj Mandir in Delhi, followed by a sumptuous lunch. In the evening, it was barbecue in Anand Niketan on the terrace, which had a lot of music, good vegetarian and non-vegetarian food and a few drinks.

On the second day, there was South Indian food with a variety of snacks, tambola game sessions, and even carrom board. There was a lot of bonding among all the relatives over tea, coffee, and playing cards which continued till late night. On the last day, a party was organised in Defence Colony Officers’ Club where the guests were given an exclusive room to dine and dance. The meet ended with a group photograph and lots of gifts were exchanged by the cousins.

The group leader Vandana Suri took the mike and suggested that all the cousins meet once a year at a resort to be decided later on. The cousins were so enthusiastic that almost all transferred double the amount in the bank account so that they could meet frequently. One of our cousins who had still not married even at age 50 was given a lot of proposals by the cousins. A few days later, there was a message in the group that there was an addition in the group strength of the members and everybody was invited to bless the newlyweds.

THE IDEA TO HAVE A COUSINS’ MEET TOOK BIRTH IN MUMBAI AND THE GETTOGETHER WAS ORGANISED IN NATIONAL CAPITAL