Books in the Woods is a telegram Group for artists, mostly writers.

“You know I got two offers for modelling despite the height?” I said.
“Wow! What did you say?” Asked Shikha.
“Nothing, I politely declined. They expect me to wear revealing dresses” I replied.

“Well, what a shame! You got the body, the face, and not to mention your ruby lips that don’t even need lipstick” Shikha said proudly.
“Dude, my dream is to watch sexy models in skimpy dresses doing a catwalk on the ramp wearing my avant garde designs. Not vice versa!” I said.

“ Oh! Typical ENFJ” Hasan remarked.
“Okay, like now, you will analyze my personality type! Dude I have been psychoanalyzing people since fourth grade. Don’t forget I’ve been writing poetry for over a decade now” I said.
“Yeah, don’t even try to argue with this intellectual. Especially never instigate the feminist in her!” Poked Anshuman in between.
After sending a Gif of an expressionless girl chewing food and mumbling something in Russian, Hasan said “Alright, Okay”.

“And, yes you don’t need to give me complex on multiple apps. I know you are learning four languages and just recently celebrated Ruby league win while I'm still on Gold league ranking number 7 in Spanish.” I replied.
“HaHa I love it when you get jealous” Hasan Said.
“Whatever dude, Whatever” I replied.

Really, If I were to keep a count of the hours I spend on this group mercilessly trolling my fellow artists and three best friends- I’d be taking time management classes.


Hi, I’m Areena Upadhyay. Four feet 11 inch, pretty, fair with short silky hair.
I am a B.tech dropout because, my dad misunderstood me when I was playing with brightly coloured capacitors, sticking them into a huge piece of thermocol paper.
Back in 1998, in his big electronics showroom, which was bustling with customers and workers choosing television sets he swore he would put me into engineering.

I was sitting at the last bench making faces at all the diagrams on the board in a semi-government college

After four semesters of my batchmates putting up with my constant swearing, I finally mustered the courage to leave that degree.


As they say, the 2C rule, career and consort must be of your own choice and not your parents.
When you are unhappy you can’t keep anyone else happy.

So, here I am at 34, dreaming of doing something new. Leaving the security of an average life is difficult, especially if your parents are not very supportive.
But certain decisions are crucial for your contentment. And I have been chided by an ex-boyfriend on purchasing expensive colours instead of fruits and medicine. So, yes that level of crazy.

I’m willing to take the risk especially because it’s a calculated one. Also, they used to laugh at my poems before I became internationally published and appeared on Google. And after that Limca Record of 2014 for being a part of the first international duet poetry book called “Synthesis”, these very people want to spend time with me. So, everything changes with achievements. I will take this chance because I have full faith in my artistic abilities and tendency to work hard. And colours give me joy. It is so cathartic -all forms of applied visual art.

Yes, in today’s world starting something entirely new is not a far-fetched dream. You can learn anything on the internet- there are apps, free courses, websites and whatnot.

Plus, if you have some innate aesthetic sense, trying something creative is by far, a more lucrative option.
I once participated in the Lakme Fashion Week contest design submission on talenthouse.com.
They told me that my collection was good and they would work with me in the future. So, that is how I got a brief gig in Myntra, an online shopping app. I used to be a fashion stylist there, advising people on which dress would pair well with which accessory. Which crop top would look good with a particular skirt and so on and so forth.

For the first time, I worked at a platform where my talent was utilized. It felt great. Yet, the responsibilities and expectations of my parents made me take up a teaching job.
Nine years passed and although life could have been normal, I didn’t like the normal.
I've always felt normal is overrated.
Nothing noteworthy came out of normal.

The urge to see a splash of bright colours on people of all hues was always lurking somewhere, simmering somewhat under the Jodhpur sun.

Then, my parents forced me to try my luck in a government exam. I cleared the pre of the government teacher exam.
But, hell no, I wasn’t going to travel for hours daily only for the sake of security.
And, Jeez, who the hell is secure really?
You go out to buy groceries and someone can knock you down in an accident.
Life is unpredictable. That is what makes life interesting. Trust me, routine will take away all joy from your life.
At least, I can't imagine myself doing the same thing every day.
So, I decided to play it cool. I pretended to study and went to Jaipur to eat Chole-Kulche, see a different city and come back. Yes, the centre was there. As expected I didn’t pass. May I mention how glad I was. Blaming it on loads of history wasn’t hard. I was more than relieved.

Sometimes, In India, you pay the price of being too perfect - perfect grades, more expectations…

For example, the child who scores 90% will be told by everyone in the family, close relatives, and even the longer-than-Pinocchio-nose aunties about career choices.

Something like fashion design cannot be understood by people who have only seen doctors, engineers, and CA students do well in life. Nevertheless, can’t blame them.


I guess life has its trajectory and the traveller must transverse. And that is what we are – ‘mere travellers’.
The path calls us when we are ready.
Overall, now I'm mature enough to understand the world and business.

So, after a trip, I just asked my sister-in-law if she would make a dress for me. The dresses she created for her daughter for my cousin’s wedding were flawless. I simply loved how neat the stitching was. We are kind of close. She said yes and I started making an illustration.
My sister-in-law is a fashion designer. She worked in Delhi for a year before getting married. She prioritised her family over work. The way she took care of my ailing grandmother really touched my heart. In today’s fast-paced world, people leave their parents in old-age homes. And, here she was showing us that the family of the spouse is just as important as yours. I feel my brother is blessed to have someone like her.
Then we talked on call and wondered if we could do something online. Her husband offered to invest in our venture. And that was that, an exciting new start.
My techno-savvy friend Srabon Hasan helped with the website design part. He did a lot of freelancing work for client’s websites and knew what he was doing.

Although, the first order is a little hard to get. Because not many people know about you at first.
Then, the thing is – in today’s world marketing is very important. So, I focused on creating the designs and distributed the other work with my friends.
Also, the designing part needed more people, just asked my fellow artist friends who painted if they would be interested.
It was an affirmative and then we started working on the designs. We tried to incorporate elements from Rajasthani culture into our dresses giving it a contemporary touch. We specifically designed a line for plus-size women. It was much appreciated. Also, the best part is when more people are involved in a project or startup, there are more voices, more brainstorming and more perspective. Hence, higher productivity.

So here we were, five friends gearing up to create something striking.
Usually, my designs are avant-garde, mostly high-end luxury fashion. But I wanted to be more inclusive. Unlike other fields where being a master of a particular niche will give you better results, I focused on accumulating those who could pay lakhs but also ones who could pay only a few thousand. If you are thinking long -term, expanding the customer base is important. The revenue is more balanced. Customers would return for both casual and special purchases. Thus, increasing brand loyalty. Also, less dependence on one income group is better for market stability.
Everyone wants to look pretty. It is a basic human desire to look attractive. Thus, customers want quality even at lower prices. I always hoped to create something affordable but also nice.
Still, remember how I was not able to buy what I liked as a child and a teenager. That kind of thing stays in your head even after you grow up. You want to change that feeling of lack for others. It's powerful to shape my business approach using personal experience. Creative cuts, colour combos and detailing can easily make customers feel they are getting high-end fashion without the heavy price tag.
So with all these things in mind and taking Ganpati Bappa’s name we started our online page.

In about eight days we found our first order. It was a girl aged 25 years who wanted to look special for her date. She wanted to look ravishing yet not very needy. I designed a classy mermaid dress for her in a warm copper colour. A blue hat and a golden belt added charm to the dress. She loved it.
Happy customers make a successful business.
The first money from something I always loved made me feel crazy happy. I had thrown a cucumber party for the bulls on the street. Sadly, selfish humans keep only cows at home because they are profitable. Meanwhile, young male calves roam around eating paper and plastic.
After the feeding drive for stray animals, I bought some glitter colours.

That was that, and orders started pouring in. The word of mouth really helped and making the website SEO friendly worked well in our favour.
Also, I’m a writer and that helps me to present my work in a better way.
After six months of steady income and growing customer trust, we decided to collaborate with local vendors and boutique shops. We wanted to expand our reach and it was the right time to do so. The online business was thriving but a physical presence was something that added a new dimension to our brand.
After handpicking stores that aligned with our aesthetics and values, we approached them in a very professional manner. My childhood friend Surbhi helped us understand the local market. She owns a family-run handicraft business and is street-smart.

The customers could now experience the fabric, fit and quality firsthand. It gave our brand visibility. Our limited-edition collection was made exclusively available in select local shops.

There was this fashion show at a popular local fair. It was the perfect chance to showcase our talent. The bustling event with diverse visitors, offered the ideal platform to promote our brand. We booked a spacious booth near the main walkway, ensuring high visibility.
Our creative displays had mannequins dressed in our signature pieces adorned with accessories made by local artisans.
The blush pink and coral blended with golden hues in the sky. The dreamy pastel effect made the whole experience ethereal. Every day people and local influencers walked the ramp wearing our creations.
I told my screenwriter friend, Kunal to rope in a well-known TV celebrity. His industry connection came through and the celebrity’s presence not only drew a larger crowd but also made the event a memorable highlight of the fair.
The event was covered by a local TV channel, thanks to an anchor I knew from my community. The show was later reported in the newspaper giving us valuable media exposure.

Following the show, we secured partnerships with five prominent stores, which dedicated exclusive sections to our brand. These in-store spaces were carefully curated with thematic displays- wooden racks, soft lighting and creative mannequins that reflected the essence of our brand.

In order to keep the buzz going, we organised monthly styling workshops at these stores. Here we shared tips on fabric care and styling hacks. My previous experience at Myntra helped a great deal.

The collaboration became a turning point for our brand, creating a loyal customer base and making our label a recognized name in the local fashion scene. With both the online sales and physical store presence, we were able to scale steadily while staying true to our artistic and ethical values.

A year later, things took an exciting turn -both personally and professionally. After I met someone interesting enough to get married to ; I moved to another city.
After marriage, with his constant support and encouragement, I decided to expand my business. Opening my flagship store in Gurgaon changed my life for good. With the large customer base for selling both high-end and affordable collections, we didn’t look back.Gurgaon is a melting pot of cultures, making it ideal for Rajasthani-rooted designs. As people appreciated and embraced regional aesthetics, the fusion of traditional and contemporary stood out.

With the mix of affluent shoppers, professionals and expats, Gurgaon offered a strong market. Bringing a touch of Rajasthani elegance to Gurgaon’s cosmopolitan vibe, the store became a cultural bridge blending the traditional craftsmanship with contemporary flair.


As I stood by the window of my flagship store watching the bustling streets, I felt a wave of gratitude and nostalgia wash over me. The city reflected on the glass but in my mind, I could still see the sunset over Jodhpur, where it all began. I ran my fingers over the smooth, luxurious maroon mulberry silk gown displayed on a mannequin- the fabric was soft, flawless and exquisite.
A stark contrast to the days when my fingers grazed the chipped paint of my home’s walls. From sketching designs in my room to showcasing them at the fair, from collaborating with local vendors to opening my own store- it had been a journey of dreams, struggles and unwavering belief.

The store was more than just a business, it was a testament to my growth and the people who stood by me. I knew no matter how far I travelled, a part of Jodhpur would always live in my designs.

Just then my friend, Sampati from ISKCON called. Her voice was full of hesitation when I asked her to create Gopi dresses and outfits for deities. I encouraged her to leap, assuring her that she had the talent and devotion to create something divine and beautiful. I invited her to move to Gurgaon and join me. Now, with the finances and contacts I had built, I told her it was time to revisit her gift and turn it into something huge. Together we would start a religious contour branch infused with my avant-garde touch. It would be our way of honouring the divine through creativity merging fashion with devotion.


I turned off the lights. I smiled softly, knowing this was the beginning of many more dreams woven with passion, faith and friendship. Dreams do come true, we just need to be there for ourselves.