They chat, they eat and drink and dance their way to sleep. That’s how they are — a happy family, who can do anything for each other. Delhi-based fashion designer Reynu Tandon who lives at a Chattarpur farmhouse with her husband, daughter and son says that they love spending time with each other.
Reynu says her husband Sunil is the man behind giving the entire family a life full of comfort and happiness. He started his life with a business in garment export that he ran for almost 35 years, then moved on to handle the Sandpiper Beer Inertia Industry and currently owns an export house. “He has worked really hard to provide us all the comforts of life,” says Reynu.
Daughter Nikhita, who entered the fashion industry few years ago and has established herself in designing ballroom dresses is a daddy’s girl. With a degree in Fashion Retail and Management from Berkley University, she not only handles her label well but also helps her parents with their work. Reynu shares a bond of friendship with her daughter. “There’s nothing that we both don’t share. But while she will laugh and have fun with me, she will look for her daddy’s shoulder when she has to cry,” quips Reynu and adds that the father-daughter connect really well. “The two have their morning tea together and discuss all the things bothering them.”
The youngest member of the family is Rahil, who is pursuing a career in acting. After studying from Subhash Ghai’s acting school — Whistling Woods, Rahil shifted base to Mumbai four years ago in order to get better opportunities. “But his chords are still attached to the family. He finds one or the other excuse to fly down to Delhi at least thrice a month,” laughs Reynu, who confesses that she too loves Rahil’s frequent visits to Delhi.
While the three members of the family are associated with the business of fashion, it is just Rahil who chose a different career altogether. Reynu says her son was obsessed with Salman Khan since he was five. “It was the movie Maine Pyar Kiya that made him crazy for films. He made it clear at a very young age that he wants to take up acting. Even now, if we tell him to have an alternate career plan, he insists on first making a career in acting and then thinking of something else,” says Reynu.
As the lady of the house, Reynu has always put all her energies in keeping the family happy and united. The entire family is religious and spiritual by nature and engages in many activities from satsang to yoga.
“One person’s problem is everybody’s problem. If one of us is going through a difficult patch, the other three will sit and put their heads together to find a solution,” she says.
And it is not just during the difficult times that the family members stick by each other. They make sure that once a week they spend quality time together. So, Sundays are special in the Tandon family. It is a day of rejuvenation, as Reynu describes it. They either go to watch a movie or they all plan a visit to the spa. Besides, they also make sure that each family member is well-connected with the friends of others. “We like hosting each-other’s friends. It helps create a different bond as we don’t know each other just as a mother, daughter or son but also how we are as a person outside the confines of the home,” remarks Reynu.
When the four of them get together, they like to dance and sing. “While Sunil is fond of singing, we three like to dance,” concludes Reynu.