Continuing on with introducing you to the writers behind the new Chai with Rai series An Ode: Reframing the Classics- welcoming to the Chai room Punya Rajput.

She wrote a short story titled The Sabhā No Longer Stands which reimagines Draupadi, not as a divine heroine, but as a woman confronting the shame, jealousy, and emotional labor imposed on her by a heteropatriarchal world. Through a deeply affective conversation with Krishna, she lays bare the moral contradictions, expectations, and embodied violence present in society. Her body becomes a site of symbolic control, her desires policed, her identity fragmented.

Almost Three Years in the making and I am beyond excited to Welcome actor and writer Rupinder Kaur.

This is going to be a bit of a long one as we had a lot to catch up on. Though this is the edited version and you can catch our 3 hour chat on our Patreon Channel (Unedited and Unfiltered). We get into our ideals of Romance and fantasy for writing, to discussing the viability of being a playwright and poet. We also discuss Rupinder's first published book "Rooh", her upcoming book in 2026 and acting. I cannot wait for you to hear this, giggle and see a behind the scenes insight into Rupinder. 

You also get a soundbite of Rupinder's short audio story for An Ode: Reframing the Classics titled "What the Waves Remember: Amrit Kaur"