No. 1 Akashganga Lane

Stories that unravel, heal Sriman’s job was a strange one, serving customers he knew nothing about and delivering food he had no stake in. Friendships were fleeting, and social events were calculated losses. The gig economy taught Sriman to swallow complaints. Mrittika Sen, a two-wheeler driver of a bike taxi app, knew life was precarious for female gig workers, vulnerable to erasure with a button’s press. Sriman, Mrittika, and others found solace in Akashganga, a hundred-year-old house and its resident, Bishan Basu, who introduced them to the stars. As they gazed at the celestial universe, they wondered if they’d need a new planet to call home someday. And would they be delivering chicken butter masala to that planet too? A first in Indian literature, particularly in Bengali, the novel delves into the plight of these workers who are often worse off than factory workers, with limited rights and protections, and are frequently forced to accept poor working conditions. The multi- layered narrative sheds light on the challenges of gig workers to form friendships or attend social events due to the need to prioritize income.