Shaon Sarder

My workspace is located in Manickpur, in the Manushbhumi area which people often call Durganagar. It’s under the Italgacha post office and falls within the Dum Dum police station limits here in Kolkata. My name is Shaon Sarder and I’ve been working from this place for quite a while now. Finding 700079 on a map is easy, but navigating the little lanes to get to my door is another story. It’s a very local neighborhood where everyone knows everyone else’s business. My office is basically just a room in our family house that I’ve converted. It has a high ceiling which helps keep it cool during those humid Kolkata summers. I don't have any big signs outside, just a small nameplate. Usually, the sound of the planes taking off from the nearby airport is a constant backdrop to my day. You get so used to it that you stop hearing it after a while. I start my work quite early before the sun gets too hot. The street outside is narrow, so if two cars meet, everything stops until someone backs up. It’s a bit chaotic, but it has a charm that you won't find in the newer parts of the city. I handle everything myself, from the paperwork to the actual labor involved. It’s a one-man show mostly, and that’s the way I like to keep things for now.