Published Paper Details:

Aravind Adiga's Between the Assassinations (2008) functions as a profound social document that mirrors the complex realities of class, caste, and urban poverty in post-liberalisation India. Set in the fictional town of Kittur, the novel captures the nation's socio-economic contradictions during the years between the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, a period marked by transition and turmoil. Through a mosaic of interconnected stories, Adiga employs realism, irony, and multiple perspectives to unveil the entrenched inequalities that define modern Indian society. His vivid portrayals of marginalised characters--street vendors, servants, and the urban poor--reveal not only their struggles against systemic oppression but also their persistent aspirations for dignity and mobility. The novel thus transforms literature into a mirror that reflects the hopes, frustrations, and fractured dreams of those excluded from India's economic progress. This study adopts the frameworks of literary sociology and postcolonial criticism to decode Adiga's narrative strategies and ideological concerns. By examining how the text engages with issues of power, identity, and social mobility, the research underscores the relevance of literature as a tool for social observation and critique. The objective of this paper is to explore how Adiga's depiction of poverty and aspiration challenges dominant narratives of success in contemporary India and invites readers to confront uncomfortable truths about inequality. Ultimately, the study emphasises the enduring significance of literature in shaping and reflecting social consciousness in a rapidly transforming world.