RESET | COHORT 1.0 | BANARAS
What if you could simply be yourself, and belong?
A thoughtfully curated space for thoughtful humans — whether you run a business, manage a brand, or are in a transition phase, and simply need space to hear your own thoughts.
Spend afternoons in on-going sessions with a working screenwriter and songwriter. And experience all of it alongside the magic of Banaras letting you express, what’s unexpressed.
Four days of no rush, no expectations. Just your thoughts, a tribe to belong to, and some words and conversations exchanged in a city that has a way of making you feel things you didn't know you needed to feel.
Can you feel the city calling out to you?
You'll write a song with Shayra Apoorva and explore scene-writing with Pawan Kumar Mishra.
And you'll go home with something you created, with your name on it.
December 11–14, 2026 · Varanasi
No writing experience needed. Just curiosity, and a willingness to give yourself four days away from the usual noise.
Banaras: Woh shahar jahan aap aate nahi ho, bulaye jaate ho.
Mark Twain said, "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together."
Yet surprisingly, every day begins with a distinct newness of Subah-e-Banaras.
Banaras has a way of making you want to simply be.
Mornings begin with dahi-jalebi and kachori at Chaachi's shop, a kulhad of chai, and the promise of a day that doesn't need to be hurried.
There's homely food with the authentic taste of Varanasi. There's the winter sun, the winding galiyaan, temple bells, silk shops, paan stalls, and conversations you didn't plan to have.
And then, the ghats. The Ganga. A city that has seen centuries pass, yet somehow makes room for you to sit with your own thoughts.
You'll write something. You'll rediscover a part of yourself. You'll return home feeling a little lighter.
You don't have to arrive with a plan. Just come as you are.
RESET: A Pause to just be, feel and write for yourself!
Three days · Two mentors · Your own words
You don’t have to arrive with an idea. Banaras will give you one.
You write for yourself first, and the words feel liberating. You put down something unspoken, and it lifts. You sharpen your craft alongside working writers. Day by day, bit by bit, we hold your hand until your thoughts take form.
Four days, a handpicked tribe, and a welcoming, alcohol-free space.
Day 1 — The first spark
On the evening of arrival, Pawan opens a conversation about stories. An overheard fragment, a memory, or the air of Banaras can become a beginning. With Shayra, your thoughts begin to find words — no idea prepared, no experience required.
Day 2 — The lore, and your own voice
An ancient temple few people know about, and even fewer know its lore. Pawan explores what can trigger a story and shares a structure for writing one. Alongside this, Shayra guides your poetry or lyrics, little by little, verse by verse.
Day 3 — The Ganga, and your words
On our private boat at evening aarti, you can share or perform what you have written with a selective tribe who truly listen. We help you bring your work to completion: two original written pieces, or at least one, with your name on it.
The Cohort 1 memoir
You retain all rights to your work. After the retreat, everyone’s pieces are compiled into a lean, printed keepsake book, exclusively for cohort members, and delivered home. A memoir of your words, and your tribe.
An open door
The conversation doesn’t end when you leave. Share what you’re working on with Pawan and Shayra over email or personal WhatsApp; we’ll offer feedback and perspective where we can. Personal access, not a scheduled mentorship programme.
Your hosts
Shayra Apoorva
songwriter
Instagram · @shayraa22Has written alongside Ed Sheeran and JP Saxe, with a discography of over 100 songs — including Bad Newz, Call Me Bae and Inspector Avinash.
She's brilliant at getting people who've never written anything to play with words and rhymes. To her, writing and food are the best healers. With Reset, she wants to make more people experience the same.
Pawan Kumar Mishra
screenwriter
Instagram · @wittybaalakMost recently associated with an upcoming film with Amazon Prime Video India and an upcoming Netflix series, this IWM Buzz Gold‑winning writer has been writing for films, web series and audio dramas for over a decade.
Past work for TVF, Zee5 and Mirchi. And building Reset because his best writing rooms never happened at a desk.
They'll be your hosts
the whole time,
and your mentors
whenever you need them
Practical details
- Dates
- December 11–14, 2026, Varanasi
- The curated tribe
- 8–12 participants only. We personally review every application to curate a considerate, thoughtful group. Knowing who you share this space with is half the experience.
- Fee
₹44,999 per participant. That’s us holding all of this for you:
- a private room for your stay, entirely your own
- homely vegetarian meals, with chai and coffee whenever you need them
- all local city travel arranged for you
- three days of step-by-step creative guidance with Shayra and Pawan
- a private Ganga boat ride at evening aarti, with space to share your writing
- an ancient temple visit, with a lore to explore
- a food tour through the city
- your printed Cohort 1 keepsake memoir, delivered home
- personal post-retreat access for informal feedback and perspective
…and a lot more!
- Not included
- Travel to and from Varanasi.
- Selection
- Every application is read personally. If you’re shortlisted, your invitation will arrive by email and WhatsApp by November 18, 2026.
- Applications close
- 10th November, 2026. So, don’t rush. But don’t delay either!
You may qualify for an early bird discount (₹44,999 slashed to ₹42,999) on submitting applications by 25th October, 2026.
- Coming with a friend?
- A 10% companion discount may be available, subject to both applicants being selected.
This is an application, not a confirmed booking. No payment is taken on this site.
The application
Four short chapters.
Take your time. Your answers stay put as you move between chapters.
Click to request your invite