'It was destiny that we found each other'

Happy Couple

On one hand, you have Farhan Furniturewalla, the confident businessman who knows the intricacies of the business of furniture — after all, it’s a part of his surname. And on the other, you have Laila Khan — suave, artistically-inclined and from a flamboyant filmi family. But together, the duo can brighten up any room with their infectious energy and down-to-earth attitude.

And now that they are relaunching their line of furniture stores, they say that it is nothing but passion for their work and each other that keeps them alive. Though they are both in the same profession, they have learnt to balance themselves. “If there is no passion for the job, then a couple can never work together,” says Farhan, who was in the City recently with Laila for the launch of his store ‘Furniturewalla’.

Though Farhan has been in the business for nearly 25 years, this is a new experience for Laila. “I have always been passionate about interiors and this has been fine-tuned by Farhan. Plus, we love to travel. During our travels, we make it a point to visit the many trade shows and international home stores to keep in tune with the trends,” adds Laila. But wasn’t Laila ever interested in getting into movies? “I won’t lie — the option of getting into movies were always there for me and I have got many offers. But my heart was in art. I am an artist and love to express myself through paintings,” she adds.

So when Laila is not helping her husband out, she is busy with her paintings, which are also displayed in their showrooms. And she says that Farhan is her biggest critic. “That’s what I really love about him. He is not afraid to tell me what he feels and I appreciate his feedback,” she states. He agrees that when in a business together, it’s very important for couples to be open and honest with one another. “Laila brings a whole new enthusiasm into the business. Since I have been doing this for more than 25 years, store openings do tend to get monotonous — but she simply gets me excited about everything and I feel as though each store is like my first one. That’s what makes working together better. We bounce ideas off each other and we know when to draw the line,” says Farhan.

Though they’ve had their share of ups and downs in past relationships, Laila and Farhan say they still trust the institution of marriage and they prefer to live in the present and look to the future.

“Nature has paved the way for us,” says Laila, cryptically, adding, “it was destiny that we found each other. The minute we got to know one another, we just knew that this was meant to be and we had to be together. Marriage was the next natural step. And each day, we nurture our relationship and never take the other for granted.”