I have done my bachelor’s in architecture from Sir JJ School of Architecture Bombay, India. In my final year I got married and moved to Pakistan three months later in May 1985 after submitting my thesis. Here in Pakistan I started working for Architect Yasmeen Lari and continued to do so for next 3 years. Then I had my first baby and I took the only lengthy break of 9 months in my entire working career. Later I joined Arcop and worked there for next 4 years. After this I started my own practice. I started with my own house and I was very disciplined while working even for myself. I would wake up at 7am in the morning, would assign myself task of completing certain number of detailed hand drafted drawings as there was no AutoCAD at that time. So I would sit working and would take only short breaks to take care of my newly born and then I would return to my desk, working for 12 hours and finishing self-assigned work for the day. When you work for yourself you need to be very disciplined.

Then a friend of mine suggested that I should get a room for myself as this is not very professional. So I got one room upstairs in the same building I have my office today, hired two people and started my own studio. Then there were months when my expenditure was more than my income.

It is difficult for young designers even now as it was back then because clients just don’t take it seriously and the payments were delayed; I would barely make both ends meet but I was single minded about designing. One thing I have learnt throughout my life is that if you just put in all the efforts and give your best to it, you do not need to worry about such things because the money will come. All you need to do is give your heart and soul to your work and everything else will follow. When you are enjoying your work, it takes away your stress of working.