Ankush Saikia’s New Novel Rough Streets
Ankush Saikia’s latest novel Rough Streets, set in 1980s Shillong, a gripping coming-of-age tale that explores loyalty, love, and loss through the eyes of Chandan Sen, a young school boy, will be released on 11th October.
I remember visiting Tezpur, Assam as a child with Baba. The air was thick with the scent of the mighty Brahmaputra, and we’d often stay at the old circuit house, its colonial charm standing proudly by the river. Tezpur was a town where history seemed to linger around every corner, and as I wandered about, wide-eyed and inquisitive, little did I know that the town would make such a lasting impression on me. So, naturally, when I came across the news that Ankush Saikia, who was born in Tezpur, is set to release his ninth novel Rough Streets as an e-book on October 11, the memories came flooding back. If you’re wondering why my mind leapt so enthusiastically to Tezpur – well, there’s the connection, isn’t there? Saikia, one of the Northeast’s finest literary exports, has always had a knack for painting vivid pictures of the region with his words, and now he’s taking readers on a journey to 1980s Shillong in his latest offering.
Now, Rough Streets promises to be a real page-turner. Set against the backdrop of that picturesque, yet politically turbulent era, it follows the coming-of-age story of schoolboy Chandan Sen. Through his eyes, we’re taken on a bittersweet exploration of loyalty, love, and loss – all wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of youth. Just when you think you’ve settled into a gentle, nostalgic narrative, Saikia stirs things up by plunging Chandan into a tragic mystery involving a local singer and a teacher. Oh, the plot thickens – and how! From the sounds of it, this entanglement leaves Chandan questioning the very essence of the world he thought he knew, as he transitions into adulthood and is forced to leave behind the small town and its complexities.
Author Anjum Hasan, no slouch herself, has hailed the novel as one that “brings Shillong of the 1980s uniquely alive,” and director Atul Sabharwal couldn’t help but heap praise on it too, calling it “a coming-of-age story that’s hard to put down.” Well, with endorsements like that, you know it’s going to be a good one.
And what’s a good book without a cracking cover? Pankaj Thapa, the designer, has apparently done the honours, ensuring that the outside is just as captivating as the prose within. This new novel adds to Saikia’s growing repertoire of works that often grapple with themes of violence, identity, and the personal cost of unearthing hidden truths. Not exactly light reading, but who wants a book you can breeze through without a second thought?
His previous works – A Natural History of Violence, The Girl from Nongrim Hills, and The Forest Beneath the Mountain, to name but a few – have all explored the Northeast in ways that both unsettle and fascinate. Saikia’s ability to marry gripping narratives with poignant observations of life in the region sets him apart.
I must say, I’m rather looking forward to Rough Streets. It seems Ankush is at it again – peeling back the layers of the places and people he knows so well, and giving us a glimpse into the world through his finely-tuned lens. So, if you’re in need of a good read that’ll transport you to the rugged beauty of the Northeast, then October 11 can’t come soon enough. And yes, when I do finally get my hands on it, I’ll be imagining myself back in that circuit house in Tezpur, with the Brahmaputra murmuring in the distance. Bliss.
Cover Picture Sources : India Today
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