Prem Kumar Gupta

You can usually find me at 5 Hari Sarkar Lane over in the Kolkata 7 area. It is one of those very narrow lanes where you really have to pay attention to where you are going or you will walk right past it. I am Prem Kumar Gupta, and I have been operating out of this old building for quite a long time now. Kolkata has a certain way of staying exactly the same even when everything else is changing, and this particular lane is a good example of that. The walls of the office are very thick, which helps keep things relatively cool during those incredibly humid summer months we get here. It is a small space, mostly filled with heavy old furniture and stacks of files that I really should get around to organizing one of these days. Outside the window, you can hear the usual sounds of the city—the bells of the cycle rickshaws, people calling out to each other, and the occasional dog barking. It isn't a polished or modern business district, but it is home. I handle most of the daily work myself, though sometimes a younger cousin will come by to help out when things get a bit backed up. Being at number 5 means I am right near the beginning of the lane. Most people in Kolkata 7 know the area well enough to find the place without needing a map or a phone, which is how I like it. I have been at this spot for years.