Parvez is a sofa upholstery tailor, who learned the art while observing his dad and his uncle carrying out their work, when, at an adolescent age, he used to play around the house. “Children are very observant” says he. “They grab things quickly because their minds are not cluttered with excessive information, neither do they store any useless data – they are more adaptive to observing and learning new things” he professes.
Now at 30, Parvez boasts of his 18 years of experience in which he has not only sharpened and perfected his skill, but also has learnt the tricks of the trade. “I have been travelling a lot and wherever I went, I picked tips on further refining my work. “My nephew Ayaan, now 17, joined hands with me. He is still a young lad but, as an apprentice under my guidance, he is obedient and is learning quite well. As a teacher one learns more, that’s why, in the process of teaching Ayaan, I further refined my hand on the sewing machine.” These people live in Sector 9, Gurgaon. Quoting Aamir Khan’s dialogue in 3 Idiots, he says – Koi Bhi Kaam Chhota Ya Bada Nahin Hota, Kaam, Kaam Hota Hai.
Parvez and Ayaan make enough for themselves to survive as they do turnkey jobs. “It is rare that anybody asks us to do only one seat for upholstery. A sofa repair means, cladding a complete set of 5 to 7 seats in linen or in leather. The whole set takes about 4 – 5 days and we’re happy if we get just three assignments in a month. Our work is usually in full swing during the days of festivals and weddings – that’s when we never get any time for rest or leisure. So, in a way, we can easily say that our business is subjected to seasonality.
Over the times, as these young people progressed in their profession, they also developed expertise in repairing the wooden frames that hold the sofa together. “A turnkey job is a complete job. We prefer repairing the wooden frames ourselves, rather than engaging a separate carpenter for the job.” Says he proudly. “We do not repair steel furniture – that’s not our line.” Asked about how people at large get to know about them, he says, “We market ourselves by giving our names to the big stores dealing in upholstery and drapery and work together towards a mutual benefit. Secondly, not only are our clients loyal to us, they also refer us to the others” talking about a disadvantage in his profession, he says – “The result of our good job is such that we get to see our old clients only once in 5 years – at the time when they decide to re-do their sofas.”
