"I didn't want to make it a travel show. I wanted to tell a story," Tiwari says, about Qissa Shehron Ka, the podcast that is now available for streaming. Here, the now full-time storyteller traverses through Benares, Nainital, Indore and Jaipur with each episode not exceeding 14 minutes. With a fictionalised narrative, the production quality is excellent, too. It helps familiarise the listener with the places and their intricacies — be it litti chokha or chowmein. Crediting Neelesh Misra of Yaadon Ka IdiotBox fame and author Paulo Coelho as his inspiration, Tiwari, 34, says four to six hours was spent per episode since voice modulation and pacing was key. "Recording a podcast is different from performing on stage. Also, when I speak normally, I tend to rattle off," he reveals.

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Tiwari is keen for listeners to realise that everyone has a tale to tell and that you don't have to be a storyteller to do that. Recognising that this is the perfect time to contemplate and listen to a podcast, he says, "We have a habit of creating stories out of nostalgia, imagining what would've happened. And especially during this time, the present generation doesn't need excel sheets; they need stories."

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