Mother-Daughter-A link that can never be undone

Mother-Daughter-A link that can never be undone 

The mother-daughter relationship is one of the most strongest and complex bond in the world. It is considered one of the most powerful connections in nature that only mothers and daughters understand and share among themselves.  The most difficult part in a mother-daughter relationship is when they see their child make wrong choices in life. As a daughter you can love your mother or hate her but at the end of the day, she will always be there to comfort you and be your strength in facing all the problems that come your way.

The mother-daughter relationship is  so powerful it can affect everything from health and self-esteem to all other relationships, say experts. They can go from fighting to laughing in a second, but one thing remains constant—their unconditional love for one another.

But imagine taking this, sometimes, tumultuous relationship into the business world. Here is Jacqueline Kapur and Ayesha Kapur the mother-daughter duo who are not only strengthening their relationship each day, but also making waves as entrepreneurs and running the show with great aplomb.

ayesha (the brand) deals with a range of artificial jewellery, fun bags, hair accessories and everything else a young woman needs to feel good and is being run by the successful mother-daughter duo of Jacqueline Kapur (co-founder, president) and Ayesha Kapur, (designer, co-founder, face of the brand ayesha).

"The idea came up when Ayesha and I were travelling around merchandising things for my shop, Casablanca”,says Jacqueline .” We came across a multitude of beautiful accessories in the production lines, none of which could be found in the organized retail market. It started off only 5 years ago with a corner in my multi-brand store in Pondicherry. After the almost immediate overwhelming response, we decided to take this little venture onto a larger scale.”

The multi-talented and multi-faceted Jacqueline Kapur dons many hats with practiced ease. The Mother of two, wife, homemaker, equestrian sportsperson, businesswoman  and star-mom! ( Remember Ayesha played the role  of the young deaf and  blind girl opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Black) Jacqueline was born in Germany and moved to Pondicherry in 1989. She studied Japanese at the University of Bochum and the Japanese Language Institute in Tokyo, Japan.  She started Hidesign’s garment division in 1989. She oversaw and designed the jackets for Hidesign till 2005-06 and  runs Casablanca one of India’s first multi brand department stores which opened in 1999. With Titanic she opened up her personal shopping paradise to the people of Pondicherry in 2000.

Talking about getting into business at the age of just 15, Ayesha says, "It definitely wasn't planned. Even when I was only five years old, I would accompany my mother on buying trips and always told her if I liked something or not. Being the 'face' and designer of Ayesha, also means that I am strongly involved in creating design concepts, marketing operations of the brand and the occasional fun photo shoots."

Ayesha is not just the face and the ambassador of the brand, but is involved in concept, design and research. Ayesha accessory has picked up quickly and has opened 29 exclusive stores across India already. The accessory brand has recorded fantastic sales with high footfalls. It is increasingly being viewed as a fun brand for young women with a great fashion sense. Ayesha Kapur has recently launched UNKNOWN, a new line of accessories exclusively for young men under the label ayesha accessories.

For Jacqueline, the experience of working with her daughter has been great. She  is not only the mother of a young daughter, the one who has to set limits and guidelines, but also her partner in a joint venture. Ayesha does not see her only as a restricting force in her party life, but as an equal-level partner in a project she enjoys. More than building up a business together, it's an incredibly valuable and fun experience to work together. Ayesha says, 'Not just professionally, she has played a great role in my personal life by teaching me how to focus, be independent, strong and speak my mind'. Like her mother, Ayesha is an accomplished equestrian  and has competed and been placed among the best 3 in many regional competitions in

Dressage and Show jumping from 1999 to 2010.

Defying all odds….

And then there is SadhikaQazi Patel, 30, is beaming with pride at her motherhood this Mother’s Day. A thalassemic patient, she says she wants to give a message to those who are suffering the wrath of a disease and yet dream of becoming mothers. “With grit and right medical support you can become one,” said Sadhika.

"Motherhood is the finest gift to women by god and we should all celebrate it. We all deserve it, even those who may be challenged with worst forms of ailments. Today I want to tell all those who suffer from thalassemia and other diseases that if you have the valour you too can attain the bliss of motherhood," Sadhika says. 

Defying common myths and riding high on her resolve, Sadhika became a mother 3 years ago giving birth to not one but two daughters at Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital. 

According to estimates, in India Thalassemia major affects over 1,00,000 people and over 8,000 reported thalassemia births take place every year. There are, however, many more unreported cases as well. 

Sadhika was detected for  thalassemia at the age of 5 and since then has been under Dr Rashid H Merchant, Consultant Pediatrician, Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital

“Other than going through the trauma of wanting to become a mother myself for long, I know of other women who suffer the double whammy of a serious disease as well as the scare of losing. I want to do my bit to give them confidence through all possible means,” says Sadhika, even as she spells out her vision for the two daughters. 

Sadhika plans to soon launch a Facebook page and create a support group for the same as well as use expertise of the likes of Dr Merchant and others. She also recommends that thalassemia test should be made mandatory for all pregnant women. 

Dr Merchant is a happy doctor today. Sharing his experience at a Thalassemia conference he said, “Sadhika’s is a remarkable case study in medical excellence and human will. After giving birth to healthy twins, she underwent severe complications including pneumonia, cardiac complications, pulmonary hypertension and liver infection due to hepatitis C. Sadhika had to be put in ICU for 17 days, away from her new born babies, to ensure she bounced back.” 

The disorder, he says, triggers when haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of the red blood cells stops producing either of the two proteins, an alpha or a beta. The red blood cells do not form properly and cannot carry sufficient oxygen resulting in anaemia that begins in early childhood and lasts rest of the life. The most common treatment for all major forms of thalassaemia is red blood cell transfusions. These transfusions are necessary to provide the patient with a temporary supply of healthy red blood cells with normal haemoglobin capable of carrying the oxygen that the patient's body needs. Today, most patients with a major form of thalassaemia receive red blood cell transfusions every two to three weeks. Thalassemia can cause complications, including iron overload, bone deformities, and cardiovascular illness

(According to estimates, in India thalassemia major affects over 1,00,000 people and over 8,000 reported thalassemia births take place every year. There are, however, many more unreported cases as well. )