During the debut year of our company, we have been fortunate to get advice and help from many of our close friends. Manasi Kashyap is one such friend who is not only an astute business woman herself but also a very gifted photographer. Our friendship was sealed over two decades ago by a momentous incident where I broke a school window and Manasi came to my rescue. Since then we have shared many lunch boxes, rides on smoke spewing scooters, our teenage sorrows and grown-up aspirations.
If I try tracing back the beginnings of my interest in art and home décor, I will surely land up at one of the tastefully done homes by Manasi’s mum, Rizwana Kashyap. With both our families hopping from one city to another on account of our dads, our mum’s tried very hard to make the dreary old government houses look like welcoming family homes. Rizwana aunty, a very talented artist herself, always succeeded in injecting the Indian charm into her home with billowing curtains reminiscent of ‘Durbars’, vibrant patchwork bedspreads, skillfully embroidered cushion covers and wall art. Their homes, whether a small city apartment in Mumbai or an idyllic bungalow in Nasik, have always been a source of inspiration to me.
Two decades hence, Manasi and I both find ourselves in London, pursuing our passions. Manasi has set up her successful lifestyle photography business where she captures people at their natural best. It is such a refreshing departure from the rigid posing for photographs and smiling despite your mutinous inner feelings. When I requested Manasi if she would do a session with us for our website, she agreed immediately. Her suggestion to shoot in a park worked out wonderfully for us – it portrays us as the young energetic trio we are, rather than patronizing matrons. As you can see, we had the most fantastic time doing the shoot, all thanks to Manasi for putting us at ease instantly. You can see more of her fantastic work on her website.
Manasi, thank you and good luck! XX
Purvaai Home Decor 
