Valentine’s Day Special Story Parsi Gentleman Keki Love Story

Valentine’s Day Special: Tukaram’s abhanga lines ‘Asi kaalvalya jati, kari labevin preeti’ are not rare examples which can be given as a standard in today’s times. In recent times people do not even look at each other if they have nothing to gain from the other. The same equation applies in relationships as well. If your partner is not able to fulfill your mental, physical, material needs, then immediately there is a rift in the relationship. Two souls who are meant for each other go away from each other for life, life and what small things. This ratio is more in Pune, Mumbai. Relationships are made and broken in the same amount of time it takes to prepare vada pav and samosas there. Trying hard to find a partner who suits you, another relationship is immediately settled, and yesterday’s broken relationship is forgotten by today’s bunch of shallow girlfriends and boyfriends. Whereas, if I tell you about a lover who stayed not once, not twice, for 40 years only to see his beloved, will you consider it a legend or, where does this happen? By saying this you will ignore it. But this is the story of a great painter, photographer Kaikhusru Manikji Moose and Keki Moose who were born in India in the 20th century. The pile of more than 300 award envelopes found in his house after his death is testimony to how great he was. Interestingly, he did not open any of these envelopes. Another example of how great he was is that the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru himself wanted to visit his house and visit his vicinity. When this scheduled meeting of 5 minutes turned into 40 minutes, even Nehru did not know.

Born into a wealthy Parsi family, Keki had a keen interest in painting and instead took up his aristocratic profession. He studied art properly in Bombay. He then went to London and got higher education in commercial arts and returned to India. According to some, he first met his girlfriend in London, while others believe that he first met her in Mumbai. Yet what happened next is more important than when and where he met her.

Keki returned to India with higher education in painting and photography and moved to Chalisgaon from his native place i.e. Malabar in Mumbai. His father had built a house at Chalisgaon in Jalgaon district for business purposes. He came there and stayed there. Locked himself here for almost 40 years and made this house his world. The meaning of the word Sadhana becomes clear when we spend some time in the house that is now the Keki Moose Art Gallery.

This is Keki’s story. However, now the title doesn’t say anything special as it says Valentine’s Day Special. Now the next story will make your Valentine’s Day meaningful. In your relationships, it doesn’t end with love if the relationship doesn’t work out in the future. So what needs to be done for that, to know what true love really means.

Keki had one year of school left when he last met his girlfriend. However, Keki had then completed her graduation. So he had to leave from there. He leaves from there and gets ready to go hoping to meet her soon. She also agreed and said that I will come soon to meet you and both went their separate ways. After that when Keki came to live in Chalisgaon, she kept getting his letters from time to time. There was optimism for tomorrow in the papers. He was waiting for her everyday. Now it’s also a fun thing to look forward to. Who knows what was the last conversation between the two, but he used to open the usually closed door of KK’s house every night when the Mumbai to Punjab mail stopped at Chalisgaon at 1 am. Shortly after the car left the door would close again. Same again the next day. How long did this series last, 40 years. If you have something to do for a week in a row, just thinking about this boring routine is enough. Not only did she meet Keki even after 40 years, but their occasional letters did not stop either. Still, Keki never gave up on her nightly routine. Was he just passing the time waiting in the meantime? A true and sensitive artist with an aspiration to create, he created a vast collection of art for generations to come with over 15000 paintings and photographs. Throughout his life, he only did the work of giving without any return. The definition of you and your love is that they sit close. Presenting to you this symbolic example of love, I also pause with the lesson of patience and love without profit. Hail Valentine.