Book description
Every morning in Sadar Bazaar, one of the oldest markets in Delhi, a
gang of men gather looking for work in the building trade. For five
years, Aman Sethi shared their lives, and in particular that of
Mohammed Ashraf. Ashraf is a mazdoor, an itinerant
house-painter, but he's not a typical labourer - he's studied biology
in college, and after college learnt how to repair TV sets, cut suits,
and slice chicken. He lived all over India, but now he finds himself
in Delhi: the second most populous city in the country. The morning
will bring hangovers, whisky breakfasts and possibly answers to the
lingering questions that haunt Ashraf. How did he get here? Why is he
the way he is? And is there a way back home?
One of the very best young journalists in India, Aman Sethi brings
Ashraf vividly alive and illuminates the lives of countless others
like him. Wry, humorous and insightful, A Free Man is an
unforgettable portrait of an invisible man in his invisible city, and
an extraordinary human story.
Aman Sethi was born in Bombay in 1983. He studied chemistry in Delhi,
and journalism in Chennai and New York. He is currently the Chhattisgarh
correspondent for
The Hindu
. This is his first book.
