Struggling newspaper-editor Hissam is finding it harder and harder to pretend that believing in your work is just as satisfying as landing a big promotion. His old college friend Kaiser has fared considerably better as one of the city's wealthiest property developers, who also happens to be married to the woman of Hissam's dreams. Hissam's chance to strike it big presents itself in the form of a military backed Emergency that upends the country's social order. Choosing to back different sides, Hissam and Kaiser find themselves trading places in a way that changes their relationship and their lives, forever. This richly satirical novel heralds a major new voice from Bangladesh.