Madhumita Mazumder

I've been working out of this spot at 47/2 Prince Road in Kolkata for a while now. It’s an old building, typical of this part of West Bengal, with thick walls that keep out some of the heat but not the noise from the street outside. People always ask where exactly it is, and I just tell them to look for the big gate near the corner. It isn't a fancy office with glass windows or a receptionist sitting at the front. It’s mostly just me and a couple of others sitting around a big wooden table that has seen better days. We have a small kettle in the corner for tea because we drink way too much of it during the rainy season. The floors are that old red oxide style you see everywhere in the older parts of the city. Sometimes the power goes out, and we just wait it out or talk about what needs to get done once it’s back. It’s a quiet life here, mostly. I spend a lot of my day looking at the screen or filing papers that keep piling up. The address is 700032, which is a good area if you like being near everything but tucked away just enough. We don't have a big sign outside, just a small one near the bell. It feels more like a home than a business most days, which I guess is how I like it.