Our Self-Written Obituaries – Farah Noor, Vasant Kunj
The 125th death. [Text by Farha Noor; photo by Shireen Akhtar] Farha Noor died in her dream. She dreamt she was dying. She was found dead on her bed beside a pile of half-read books in five languages and a…
Delhi Proustians – My Life with Marcel and the Unjustness of Proust’s Great-Grand-Niece
Consider the Proustians. [Text by Mayank Austen Soofi; photos by friends] This is personal. French novelist Marcel Proust’s personal archives is to be auctioned by Soethby in Paris. They are being sold by his great-grand-niece. Here’s the news from AFP,…
Our Self-Written Obituaries – Rituparna Sengupta, Govindpuri
The 124th death. [Text by Rituparna Sengupta; photo by Srijit Chakravarty] Rituparna Sengupta bore the curse of being a peculiar person with a very common name all her life. Even after her death it took her acquaintances a few weeks…
City Food – Kwality Special Pudding, Regal Cinema Building
The sins of our fathers. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is extremely creamy and is embellished with canned pineapple. Its bulwark is of stale white bread. The Kwality Special Pudding is served in a restaurant of the…
Delhi’s Bandaged Heart – Art Critic Aveek Sen on The Art of Losing, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art
Poetry in the city. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Leaves shed trees. Bodies leave spirits. Lovers lose lovers. And a poetry book lost its owner. The much-marked and underlined paperback of Elizabeth Bishop: The Complete Poems 1927-1979 belonged…
Our Self-Written Obituaries – Laveena Behl, Kanpur & Delhi
The 123rd death. [Text and photo by Laveena Behl] She was found dead next to a box of chocolates and a pile of books. It remains uncertain whether the reason of her death was overeating or over-reading or both. Laveena…
Home Sweet Home – Rachna Jain’s House, Gali Maata Wali
A slice of haveli. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The most beautiful part of her house is the bedroom window. One afternoon The Delhi Walla enters the home of Rachna Jain in Old Delhi’s Gali Maata Wali. Ms…
Our Self-Written Obituaries – Khadeejah Gibran Raja, Medina, Saudi Arabia
The 122nd death. [Text and photo by Khadeejah Gibran Raja] In memory of Mrs. Khadeejah Gibran. She did her living! Climbed mountains, flew hot air balloons, traveled from Rome to China, played Bach, enjoyed Dostoevsky, and lived on sushi. Married…
Photo Essay – The Empty Banquet Hall, Pahari Bhojla
Scenes of silence. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The blue-robed chairs are neatly arranged around tables that are covered with white clothes. This must be the setting for a formal sit-down dinner but there is no one. One…
Our Self-Written Obituaries – Simran Jagdev, Ashoka University
The 121st death. [Text by Simran Jagdev; photo by Srutanjay Narayanan] Simran Jagdev, 24, was found dead in room 615, Women’s Residence at Ashoka University. She was one of the 200 fellows, touted to be the brightest minds in the…
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