It Started with a Scent
Some memories stay with you forever. Mine began in a terraced garden in Kashmir. I was nine, standing in Chashme Shahi with my mother and sister, surrounded by cascading fountains and geometric gardens. The late afternoon light was soft, the air had this mountain freshness, and everywhere the soothing sound of water, flowing through channels and fountains, could be heard.
Almost forty years later, I found myself wandering through narrow streets in the South of France. Stone walls came alive with bright pink bougainvillea flowers. The air was a blend of everything I love—fragrant blooms near ancient doorways, misty mountain breezes, and hints of salt from the Mediterranean below. Two moments, separated by decades and continents, yet connected by something profound—the power of scent to transport us, to awaken us, to remind us of who we are.
These weren't just memories. They were gentle moments that would shape something bigger.
After a life-changing accident in 2022, I was no longer able to wear traditional alcohol-based perfumes. My therapists talked about a concept called Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) — how adversity can sometimes lead to unexpected positive changes in life, like finding new meaning or discovering a different path. That idea resonated deeply. Rather than seeing my limitations as an end, they became an invitation to explore possibilities I'd never considered before. Something that could capture those beautiful, memorable moments I'd experienced in Kashmir and the South of France.
That's how Prem Rouge was born—our first fragrance that brings together French tuberose and Kashmiri roses. But it quickly became clear that this was about more than just perfume.
It was about crafting experiences that awaken all the senses. About finding beauty in constraints and turning them into possibilities. About creating products that don't just serve a purpose but tell a story and carry meaning.
This is Dilli House. We're building something different—one sense at a time. Because we believe the most profound experiences often start with something as simple as a scent. And a feeling.
Like those gardens from my past, each product we create is an invitation to pause, to notice, to feel. To find your own gentle moments in a fast-moving world.
This is just the beginning of our story. Thank you for being part of it.
