a.ritual with Fatema Raja
some people are color themselves; they don’t wear it, they become it
words by Uddipan
With some people, colors speak before words do. Fatema is one of them, a perfect example of how energy can have color. She’s radiant, curious, and full of life, the kind of person whose presence adds brightness to your slowest days.
The way to her home was long that morning. With all the coffee gear and my camera, I had to take a few pitstops to breathe. The neighborhood, though, was green and quiet. Residential, calm, no tourist chaos, the kind of place where time moves just a little slower, and that’s a blessing.
Her home feels just like her, warm, intentional, bursting with soft pops of color. Not loud, but alive. The kind of space that makes you smile without realising it.
The colors popped but didn’t scream; they hummed. A soft, happy balance, pastels, art, plants, and the smell of something familiar brewing. The perfect blend of furniture, books, her mac sitting on a rustic table, and decor felt like a rhythm, not arranged for aesthetics, but for energy.
She told me she designed it to “feel like a studio”, a place that moves with her energy. And it truly does.
Walking into Fatema’s home was like stepping into a studio full of warmth.
We brewed coffee together on her kitchen counter using a moka pot, simple, no rush. The aroma filled the room as we poured it over oat milk with a few ice cubes to cool it down.
While we stirred and spoke about ideas, her didi made us some poha. She was kind, smiling every time she passed by, making sure we were comfortable. It felt less like a ritual and more like a morning spent at a friend’s home, calm, easy, and real.
I’ve known Fatema for a few years now, introduced by a common friend, Neerja. From day one, I’ve seen her curiosity lead the way. She’s always been full of ideas, constantly working on something new, exploring new territories, or learning a new skill.
Every time I meet her, she’s into something exciting, reading about design, or teasing her next project.
She believes staying active, physically and mentally, is not optional. It’s part of living fully. Whether it’s her morning run before her iced cortado at alag, or her long walks into wilderness, where she draws inspiration from daily life, she keeps her body and mind in sync.
She often says that new ideas come not from sitting still but from movement, from talking to people, learning something new, from curiosity itself. And that’s true, as creators, we sometimes forget that.
Innovation doesn’t always strike behind a desk; it’s born from conversations, from the people we meet and the energy they bring.
One evening at alag, I saw her spreading out colorful sheets on a table. Curious, I asked what she was working on.
“I’m starting a perfume company,” she said, smiling. That’s how Ruhveda began.
Since that day, Fatema and her team have together built Ruhveda into a thoughtful, modern brand rooted in heritage and intention. They blend the wisdom of Indian Culture with the elegance of fine perfumery, creating scents that feel grounded, familiar, yet global.
Earlier this year, Ruhveda was selected for the Sephora Accelerate program, an incubator that supports emerging beauty founders around the world. It’s a massive step, and a proud one, not just for her, but for the new generation of Indian entrepreneurs building brands with soul.
When I got to try their line, my favorite was the brown bottled Mughal Majesty.
It felt rich, deep, and rooted, much like Fatema herself.
“A founder’s energy often becomes the brand’s energy.”
You can sense that in Ruhveda. Calm, confident, exploratory, never in a rush, but always in motion.
Presenting a.ritual with Fatema Raja
