Varud Gupta

Varud Gupta was bred for the business world, a past life spent studying finance at New York University and working as a consultant for Deloitte. And then a brusque millennial existential crisis sent him travelling (and eating) through the culinary cultures of the world. It was in documenting these odd jobs-from cheesemongering in NY to being an asador in Argentina-that his journey as a writer began. Obsessed with storytelling, Varud wrote his first book, Bhagwaan Ke Pakwaan, which was a cookery-cum-travel narrative through the faiths and foods of India. The story of Chhotu represents the culmination of the first chapter on this existential path and the search for purpose in a world that can often feel so bleak.

Ayushi Rastogi was born into a family of artists, studying communication design at Pearl Academy followed by a deep dive into illustration and branding at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. It was her upbringing that instilled a need to seek social responsibility in her work; that the stories of art can also drive change. She’s created a board game for children with dyslexia, illustrated a children’s series that tackles topics of diversity and designed books that explore nature conservation, Delhi pollution and much, much more. And through Chhotu she aims to bring to life a fear that gnaws at our everyday lives.