He finds that the key to his life is uncontrollably grabbed by strangers: a grotesque Ram Sahay Jaiswal, his employer; KP, who claims him as his son but becomes the bane of Mani's life; and Guru Aama, who gives him shelter but breaks him as much as she makes him.
Mani's journey is about his deep longing for a home. It is about seeking a sense of belonging that mirrors the contemporary collective sentiment of the hill people at that point in time, set in the background of the Gorkhaland agitation in the Darjeeling hills in the 1980s when it turned extremely violent. Mani's life is a story of living through loss and yet being able to carve a meaning out of it. Whether it leads Mani to redemption, to his home ? is the most emphatic question that shapes the story.

Alka Singh is an aspiring writer. She has penned a collection of poems titled 'Hushed Hues' (Creative Publishers, Mumbai) and a collection of short stories titled 'Beyond Contours' (Notion Press). Alka seeks pleasure in exploring the beauty of quaint, remote and unknown worlds through her writing.
After spending a decade in print and web media, Alka gave it all up to pursue her passion for writing fiction. Alka is a postgraduate in Zoology and has earned an MBA from NMIMS. She lives in Mumbai.