One of the one percent in 13 million.

[Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi]

The sky this cold morning is pitch blue. The young boy is walking with a man in white kurta pajamas, here on a central Delhi roadside. The man has a bushy white beard, his eyes are hidden behind thick black glasses, and he is walking hesitantly along the rough path, each step an act of deliberation. The boy is walking faster, but stops after every few moments for the man to catch up with him. At times, he walks back to the man, holds his hand, and silently escorts him forward. Soon they enter an underground subway, slowly walking down the dusty stairs littered with cigarette stubs.

The boy is carrying a large bag. He introduces himself as Gulzar. “The bag has papa’s medical reports,” he says, nodding at the man. Earlier in the morning, Gulzar had taken his father to an eye hospital, and now they are returning home.

The man introduces himself as Shaifuddin. “I do manage to earn a little as a beggar, though one of my eyes is completely useless, can’t see anything from it. The other eye has been giving trouble… everything looks blurry… we are getting it treated.”

It is one of those rare days when Gulzar skipped going to the school. “I had to escort papa to the hospital, it is my responsibility,” he says matter-of-factly. At 12, Gulzar is a fifth standard student. His brothers Gulbad and Imran are in fourth grade and third grade, respectively. “Pyari is my eldest child, she is in saatvi (7th),” the man says.

The children are enrolled in a government school near their home. “My wife Shahbaz Begum works in people’s houses… we are trying to give our children a good education, they must become big people.”

Gulzar namechecks maths as his favourite subject. The man’s face turns towards the direction of Gulzar’s voice, as they continue to walk in the underground subway. “We students daily get lunch in the school, sometimes there is halwa with the food,” he says. Gulzar has plans for his career. “I want to be a doctor.” The man raises his chin, laughing lightly. “My son will serve the poor people, he will treat them for free.”

They emerge out of the darkened subway, stepping into the bright sunshine. This part of the pathway is packed with people. Gulzar again holds his father’s hand.

[This is the 605th portrait of Mission Delhi project]