Symbol of Life

‘‘Till now, this jaali was just another protected monument, one of those structures that are part of our cultural heritage. A place where I took all my out-of-town friends and relatives to when they dropped in,’’ she says. ‘‘But now, it’s more. Much more. In a city whose secular fabric has been ripped by the communal riots, this mosque right in the city centre shows co-existence. It’s a symbol of the city belonging to Hindus as well as Muslims. That’s why it’s so important,’’ she adds.

As we walk on, she opens up. ‘‘It’s been around seven years since I began designing, without any formal training whatsoever. Actually, I studied in the US and got an MBA. Ironically, today I look after the creative aspect of the work, and leave the business side to others.

‘‘I’ve often been labelled arty, and I must confess that I don’t quite know what that means. I myself would call my work timeless, elegant — after all, I’ve never worked according to market demands. I firmly work by the rule that the day I don’t enjoy creating then it’s going to show in my work,’’ Vakil says.

Sometime later, her mind goes back to the riots. ‘‘You know, the earthquake was fate. There was nothing one could do. But this bloodshed was something else. Ahmedabad has never been immune to riots. But there’s never been this kind of nastiness before. And to a person who loves this city as dearly as I do, it’s a body blow,’’ she says.

After a few moments of contemplative silence, she speaks up again. ‘‘But then Amdavadis are very resilient. They put the quake behind them and are making all efforts to forget the riots. Perhaps, peace will prevail,’’ she says. On that optimistic note, we part ways.