A vanishing world.

[Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi]

The Delhi Walla has often flicked books from other people’s homes. So it was quite astounding to know that there are people doing the exact opposite.

Readers will remember the library of Anjani Kumar—it was featured on this website’s ‘City Library’ series. A security guard in central Delhi’s Jor Bagh, Mr Kumar owns half a dozen books. He had told me — “These books are as precious to me as my job.”

The other evening I was walking in Jor Bagh when Mr Kumar waved at me and took out two new-looking books from his cabin. He said, “A lady came today. She gifted me these books.”

I later learned that the aforementioned lady happened to be Delhi’s eminent food critic. Marryam H Reshii had recently stumbled upon that piece on Mr Kumar’s library and had immediately decided to make herself a part of it.

It is great to share a city with people like Mr Kumar and Ms Reshii.

May nobody flick marvels of their libraries.

Shh, he’s reading