Delhiwale: The CP twins

Identical twins Anshul and Ankur share a deep bond despite their separate lives, reflecting on their unique connection and familial experiences.

Meet Anshul and Ankur. They are identical twins, having identical voices. Both went to the same school and the same university, entered the same profession, settled in the same city, and now have their day jobs in the same Connaught Place.

Anshul (left) and Ankur (right) in the outer circle of Connaught Place. (HT Photo)

The same-same somewhat ends here. Anshul lives with wife Chetna in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj. Ankur lives with wife Shivangi in east Delhi’s Yamuna Vihar.

This cold evening, both brothers, after leaving their respective offices for the day, meet in CP’s Outer Circle colonnade. They stand against the backdrop of the distinctive white columns, which too are identical, twining each other many times over along the whole colonial-era circle.

Separated by nine minutes, the twins say that they grow up with the usual “Who is who?” and “Which is which?” from over-smiling relatives. But they never thought of themselves together as a single person.

Nevertheless, Anshul says, “We are extremely close.” Ankur says: “We share the most personal things about our lives.” Both say that their relationship evolved following their marriages. Anshul says: “Because now each of us has also become a separate unit, made up of our own individual family.” Ankur says: “But we are twins and the closeness we share will always be present.”

Both brothers are showing a day-old stubble, glinting with prickly strands of white. “We started to grey at the same time,” says one. “As we grow older, our differences might become more pronounced,” says the other.

The soft-spoken men graciously agree to pose for a portrait. Left is Ankur, right is Anshul. No — left is Anshul, right is Ankur!