Saved by the fire

Just the night before he read the appeal from Shiavax Nargolwala, the then pre­si­dent of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman, our 74-year-old father Hormusji Jamshedji Mistry had announced his intention of doing charity in the name of our elder sister Khorshed and brother Phiroz who both expired in 1941 at the age of 22 and 16 respectively within a short span of eight months. He wanted to donate the same amount he had spent on the wedding of my brother Tehmuras and myself. We learnt that the most important things needed for the newly constructed Kaikhushru Pallonji Katrak Dar-e-Meher in Delhi were the afarganiu and other alat in the kebla room.

We placed an order for making a German silver afarganiu and a thick silver toran for the kebla door with Ratonji Jhangir and Sons at Parsi Bazargate Street, Fort, Bombay. For the bell, which is to be made from seven different metals, we placed an order with Jayant Metal Work at Elphinstone Bridge, Parel.

My father was from the village Suwali in Surat district and had a sawmill business. But he knew everything about metal works so every few days we would go and supervise the craftsmen. The marble stand was ordered from a company in Jaipur.

We also arranged for one large size photo frame of Zarathushtra which is still there in the Dar-e-Meher along with a large electric clock. The implements like chipya and chamach, khumcha and anni needed in the kebla room were sent to Delhi by Frontier Mail as passenger baggage.

From left: Roshan, Meherbai and Hormusji Mistry

Our whole family was invited by the Delhi Anjuman to join the opening of the Dar-e-Meher.

My parents, Hormusji and Meherbai and my brother along with his wife and four children reached Delhi one week prior to myself and my wife Roshan. Ervad Darius Bagli who had come to receive us, narrated how Delhi was having a very cold spell with the bureau recording the lowest temperatures in the preceding 25 years. Every room in the Dharamshala was provided with a fire of gas coke kept in the fireplace. Even then, the room was very cool so my brother shifted the fire to the center of the room. Since the coke gas could not find an outlet through the chimney, the carbon monoxide remained in the room causing breathlessness and suffocation to all the members of my family. My father opened the window and started shouting for help. His entreaties were heard by the priests readying the fire for installation at the new Dar-e-Meher. They all came running to the Dharam­shala.

Immediately some oxygen cylinders were summoned and everybody was okay after some hours. "I had come here to do something for the atash padshah. How could God do any harm to me or my family?” my father shrugged non­cha­lantly but I could see he was shaken up.

Every time I read the words written on the marble plaque in the Dar-e-Meher "In loving memory of dear daughter Khorshed and son Phiroze,” I am reminded of this blessing of the atash padshah which has been the biggest miracle of my life.

JIMMY MISTRY