For most couples making their dream house, the situation turns war-like, at some point. Passions get ignited when it comes to deciding the materials palette for their abode. I experienced this myself in 2013-14, during the making of our own house. “The Battle of Kota” felt no less than “The Battle of Jhansi”, for it had all the key elements– formidable opponents (Me-Architect Vs Husband-Client), strategy and valor.
My love affair…
Kota stone, for me, is the ‘coolest dude’ around! It’s so difficult to resist its polite & comforting presence that all its pompous and “draamebaaz” contemporaries fall flat in comparison. My relationship with the stone started 20 years ago on a site visit to Kota, Rajasthan, for the project –“Dr. R.N. Modi Apollo Hospital”. The owner took me for a round of the stone quarries where I saw Kota in its raw pure form. Hues of grays, greens, blues, greenish blue and bluish green, shades of brown and honey, also pink…took my breath away! Later, at his residence, I saw a marvelous work of craftsmanship and it was love at first sight! There lay, in all it’s splendor, the beautiful green floor interspersed with multi-colored patterns, soothing to the eyes and so cool under one’s feet! The sight of such a humble & earthy stone, yet glittering proudly like a diamond, will stay with me forever.
Love takes the fire test…
All was well till the ‘Client’ became suspicious of the copious amounts of Kota stone being ordered. Cross-questioning revealed, to his horror, that the “gareeb” stone was not to cut costs in some out-of –sight areas but being awarded the most honorable position “inside the house”- from the formal foyer to the family lounge- the “Brahmasthana” itself !! Realization gave way to panic and the ‘Client’ brought in “Allies’ to fight his case. One brave soldier even served an ultimatum – to not step foot inside our premises ever, if I went ahead with the atrocity!
To add fuel to fire , one after another, two Contractors fled the field, realizing that no ‘Italian’ hunk was ever going to find its way into this’ Indian’ abode. Research revealed that the laying of imported stones earns them more than local stones. Sad reality hit home- we take more pride in anything ‘foreign’ rather than ‘Made in India’!
Love ke liye kuchch bhi karega…
They say, all is fair in love and war- time had come to unveil my strategy and play it well.So, I sat my Client across the table and spun my web, highlighting the ‘pros’ of using the material:
- Kota is a regional stone- easy to source.
- It is most economical of all stones – available in ready-to-lay tiles form, thereby saving huge cutting cost & time.
- It is hard, durable and versatile- can be used both in interiors & exteriors in its polished & rough forms.
- It comes in beautiful colors with all its natural tints and tones. Once dressed in mirror or diamond polish, all it takes to keep it so, is the daily mop!
- Last but not the least – One can kick off shoes in summers and walk coolnatural air-conditioning!
Love is not a bargain, but…
Sensing the tide turning, I threw in the ultimate bait. “We can still do all the bedroom floors in wood, if you want”- I suggested, keeping a straight face. (Little did he know, that it suited an Architect’s sense & sensibility to have a warm flooring in bedrooms, which would also balance the coolness of stone ☺) True-blooded businessman that my ‘Client’ is, he saw a win-win situation in the offer and the deal was struck!
Round one – won
Love conquers…
Victory achieved not by force or guile but by valor, always tastes better. The code had been cracked and soon ‘Allies’ changed sides. Ironically, the brave soldier from ‘Opposition’ helped me source the best quality Kota stone ever ☺and tackling the rest became easy. A team of daily wagers were groomed, trained and upgraded to be my Contractors. They turned out to be the most sincere, flexible and adventurous craftsmen I had ever encountered. The battlefield had turned into a playfield!
Love is junoon…
‘Agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho,
Toh poori kainaat use tumse milaane ki
Koshish mein lag jaati hai’-Om Shanti Om
Once confidence was established again in the ‘Architect’, the inhibitions were completely washed away. In retrospect, I feel, it is the connotations we attach to objects blindly, which prove to be a deterrent. How foolish are we to think that objects
can define our status…
“Every block of stone has a statue inside it & it is the task of the sculptor to discover it”.
Michelangelo
