Utsab Mukherjee 1 Shubhayan stepped out of the taxi into the sprawling expanse of the Kolkata Book Fair, 2025, feeling a mixture of exhilaration and trepidation. The early morning sunlight glinted off the vibrant banners fluttering above the rows of stalls, each adorned with stacks of books promising worlds unknown. He carried in his hands a small bundle of his freshly printed debut novels, the culmination of years of sleepless nights, scribbled notes, and endless revisions. The fair was already buzzing with energy—publishers hustling to display their latest titles, readers wandering between aisles, occasionally stopping to leaf through glossy pages,…