‘Our love story started with the Apeejay connection’

It is unanimously agreed upon by hearts old or young that love is indeed divine design. It comes into our lives in the most unexpected of moments and transforms us in the most unexpected of ways. Apeejay Institute of Design (AID) alumnus Mr. Parth Parikh and his wife Monica Mewar’s story is on similar lines.

Mr. Parikh is the Founder and Creative Director at Design Clinic India. His better half Mrs. Monica, is the Head Project Stylist at Mangrove Collective LLP.

Theirs is a unique love story. While the former pursued Bachelors of Multimedia from 2006-10, the latter was a student of Bachelors in Interior Design from 2009-13 at the AID campus. In a fun-filled interview Mr. Parikh recounts how the couple met years later as AID alumnus at a close friend’s wedding, discusses the advantages of having one’s partner from the same profession and also gives life-lessons for young design couples. Edited excerpts:

 So, how did you both meet?

That is a very funny story. We were in the same college for a year. We spent an entire year in the same campus but never happened to see or meet each other. Our love story happened after graduating from AID.

So, years later in 2018 we met at a mutual friend’s wedding. It was there that I got to know that Monica and I were at the AID campus in 2009. Actually, she had a very select group of friends in college.

So, we met after 8 years of me graduating from AID. And that is how we started our conversation. This mutual friend introduced us and when I got to know that Monica was also an AID alumnus my first reaction was “Oh you are also from AID, how come we never met in college?”

That was really funny, I knew many of her friends back then but we never happened to meet in college.  It was destiny that we met in 2018 and from there we started talking, chatting and gradually the relationship grew.

But it was actually that humour which sparked the conversation and paved the way for our love story.

 I was very social in college and knew almost everyone at the campus. But I was destined to meet that someone special from campus years later.  

What role did AID play in your love story?

AID was the mutual connection that brought us together. The mutual friend at whose wedding we met, she was the link as well. So, Monica’s friend is also a very good friend of mine but as luck would have it, I never got to hear even Monica’s name once from her in all these years.

 Her wedding was the place where all the stars aligned favorably. The wedding was of an AID alumnus and we were also from AID. So AID was the key that brought us both together. It helped us connect at the wedding and played a great role in beginning our love story.

So how is life as a ‘design couple’?

We are in the same profession, both of us are designers. Honestly, I never thought that I would marry a designer. People say opposites attract but I now feel that being in the same profession helps you a lot as a couple. Both of us can understand design, aesthetics and the language of design. So we share so many ideas with each other. Most of our choices are also similar. Both of us love architecture, pop art and design. So, it has really worked out for us as a couple, touch wood.

 As a young successful couple what life lessons would you give to young student-couples or couples in general?

 Well, as suggestions or advice, I would just say that be honest to your work and to each other as well. There will be a lot of ups and downs. But if you follow this basic rule of life and profession and maintain both of them together in a balance, then all will be beautiful.

 With Valentine’s Day around the corner, do you both have any special plans?

We both are very simple as individuals and also as a couple. We love our privacy. We generally don’t plan anything. It is all very spontaneous, like on the spot decisions. We love random plans and it works out for us as well.

As Valentine’s Day plans, we might have a good home-made dinner. That would be very nice. It could be me cooking a dessert and she cooking the main course. So, our Valentine’s Day will be celebrated in the kitchen cooking together. That would be very special for both of us. Later, the day might end with us watching a good movie together. That would be beautiful.