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Meera Ahuja is much more than just Dhurrie Diwan Shyam Ahuja's daughter-in-law.Married to Shyam's son, Vikram, this 38 year old has been ...

Meera Ahuja is much more than just Dhurrie Diwan Shyam Ahuja’s daughter-in-law.
Married to Shyam’s son, Vikram, this 38 year old has been part of the home furnishings company since the early ’80s from the time of her engagement. And most recently, she has worked with Shyam on a new book Dhurrie: Flatwoven Rugs of India — to hit bookstores in early December.

Hmm…does that mean she had some writing experience in the past?
Not before this book. Meera had Mridula Maluste, a freelance writer who has also written documentaries for the BBC, helping her out. She enjoyed the experience so much that she is considering staying in publishing. "I’d like to do more books, not writing them but helping out in the publishing and co-ordinating. I really enjoyed doing the research for this book."

How did Shyam Ahuja and she decide to write a book on rugs anyway?
Elementary, my dear Watson. If the dhurrie diwan does not write about dhurries then who will? "Shyam has been wanting to write a book on dhurries sinceI met him. About five years ago, he met Mridula and began work ing on the book. When Vikram told me about it I decided to get involved too."

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Did she have the necessary expertise to get involved in the project?
"I used to help with product development, publicity and advertising but when my son Adit was born I gave up work to become a full-time mother." A Science student initially "I am half-Swedish which is why I did part of my further education in Sweden, where I studied Science" Meera feels that the discipline inculcated by her subject helped her in the grind of the research. "When we started we wanted to write a general book on dhurries but we soon realised that it was too vast a topic for one book. For instance, you cannot even trace when the first dhurrie was made. They date back to the pre-historic era so there are no records. In Dhurrie: Flatwoven Rugs of India we are only looking at rugs that are made for commercial purposes, concentrating on North India."

n So what sort of audience is thebook trying to reach?
"Two types of people: those in textiles, as this really is the definitive book on Indian rugs; and general book lovers. It is a beautiful book with over 300 pictures taken by David DeSouza, who we have worked with for over 10 years. Priced at Rs 3,000 — it is not too expensive for a coffee-table book."

And how does she feel now that the project is over?
"Happy and depressed. Doing it was such fun and the team Shyam, Mridula, David and India Book House’s Padmini Mirchandani, our publisher became like a family."

Sounds like the book has become an important part of her life?
"Oh yes! I can quote paragraphs from the book. Though the book is Shyam’s baby I do feel like the surrogate mother. You could say that Dhurrie… is like my second child."

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And how has the response to her newborn baby been so far?
"Fantastic! We took it to the Frankfurt Book Fair and people loved it. We had no problem finding a publisher. It is so morale boosting when other people in the industryhave such positive reactions to the book."

Enough about the book. Tell us more about Meera the women?
Well, she does not like talking about herself at all. In fact she is quite a homebody. "I lead a quiet life with my two dogs and family."

Well, will she at least tell us how she met her husband?
"At the Bombay Gym, I had just come back from Sweden." And married after a three-year courtship.Was there much hype and media coverage when they got married in 1982?
"No. Thank god!" And that’s her final word.