Mission Delhi - Vinod, Central Delhi

Mission Delhi – Vinod, Central Delhi

One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is suddenly making an unsuspecting passerby hungry, this delicious smell of spiced veggies shallow-frying in oil. The entire lane is infused with a strong…

Mission Delhi - Muhammed Faiz, Dilli Gate

Mission Delhi – Muhammed Faiz, Dilli Gate

One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is a time of endings. It is a time of beginnings. These are the twin worlds that Muhammed Faiz, 21, is straddling at this…

Mission Delhi - Ravindra Kumar, Central Delhi

Mission Delhi – Ravindra Kumar, Central Delhi

One of the one percent in 13 million. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] The evening is feeling like night. It is prematurely dark. The air is icy. The street is empty. Everyone appears to be sheltering at home. Even the community…

Mission Delhi - Muhammed Rajit, Central Delhi

Mission Delhi – Muhammed Rajit, Central Delhi

One of the one percent in 13 million. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] He has no companion, he asserts. He then pauses, and after some moments, speaks again – “But I do ask about the haal chaal of the people who…

Mission Delhi - Sikander Nath, New Railway Road

Mission Delhi – Sikander Nath, New Railway Road

One of the one percent in 13 million. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] The man in the black hat is walking silently along the roadside, and yet he is attracting a great amount of notice. Heads are turning towards him almost…

Mission Delhi - S. Kumar, Near Raj Cinema

Mission Delhi – S. Kumar, Near Raj Cinema

One of the one percent in 13 million. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Each person is an anthology of stories. So is S. Kumar. “My life is full of unfortunate incidents,” he says in fluent English, in these very words. In…

Mission Delhi - Ms Phoolwati, Connaught Place

Mission Delhi – Ms Phoolwati, Connaught Place

One of the one percent in 13 million. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] She’s a living landmark of Connaught Place. The colonial-era commercial district has seen rapid transformation over the recent decades, and very few longtime institutions have managed to survive….

Mission Delhi - Immortal Rooster, Chitli Qabar Chowk

Mission Delhi – Immortal Rooster, Chitli Qabar Chowk

One of the one percent in 13 million. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Times change. But things remain. Just like Old Delhi’s nameless but immortal rooster. Until before the pandemic arrived in early 2020, this rooster’s world had an unremarkable routine….

Mission Delhi - Sudhira Devi, Subhash Chander Bose Park

Mission Delhi – Sudhira Devi, Subhash Chander Bose Park

One of the one percent in 13 million. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] It’s late winter afternoon, but the midday is already feeling like evening. Sunlight is washing her face in gold here in Gurgaon’s Subhash Chander Bose Park in the…

Mission Delhi - Syed Areeb, Walled City Wall

Mission Delhi – Syed Areeb, Walled City Wall

One of the one percent in 13 million. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] The life of an Instagram influencer isn’t easy. “I’ll have to continuously update my personality in what I wear and how I look. I’ll always have to convey…