At every wedding, people ask a 29-year-old woman running her own business exactly one question, and it's never about the business. Ammi's tired of defending me, I'm tired of smiling politely. My sarees are selling well — can that be the headline for once?

The women who stitch for me get paid before I pay myself — that's the one rule I will not break, ever. I've had thin months, but nobody's home should go short because of my ambition. That's just the deal.

Started stitching blouses on my grandmother's machine for pocket money in college. Now I employ two women from my own mohalla. Surat handed me the fabric — I just kept adding thread and a ridiculous amount of stubbornness.

40 views, 39 were my ammi

My very first saree reel got 40 views and I'm fairly sure 39 were my ammi refreshing the page for me. Two years later a total stranger in Nagpur ordered because of a reel. Consistency is boring and unglamorous and it absolutely works.

Zara from Surat — I turn fabric into feelings and reels into orders. Self-taught boutique owner who films sarees on my own terrace because studio rent is frankly a scam. Ask me anything about drape, sourcing, or plain stubborn hustle.