Poetry in the city. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] What if Mirza Ghalib were alive today? How would Delhi’s great shayar (poet) have coped with the pandemic, and the consequent khud alhaidgi (self-isolation in Urdu!)? What ghazals and…
The pandemic-era thrill of travel. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Some trains are moving. Some trains are still. A few passengers here and there, walking with their suitcases and kids. And suddenly, a rail engine whistles. The sounds…
The retreat. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] A word like ‘freedom’ acquires its true meaning only to those denied it. And so do words like “quarantine’ and ‘self-isolation’, gradually getting more real to us as we experience either…
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The life of this betel leaf stall owner is marked by two special facets. First, his modest (but long-time) stall is situated directly beneath the…
The parlour confession. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] His bedroom’s Yamaha Electone is clamouring for attention, even on Zoom. The statelier Steinway is in the drawing room, out of sight. An accomplished pianist, the enterprising Arjun Sagar Gupta,…
Life of a woman. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Her arms were covered with bangles, her ears decked with shiny stones, and stones were adorning her fingers too. She could be heard approaching from a distance, because of…
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It’s cold, and he’s away from home. At night he misses his parents. Azim Jawed is a winter migrant from Kashmir. Like scores of Kashmiri…
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The black sky’s hazy moon is easily visible through the cold smoggy air. Perhaps because of the absence of street lighting. A few folks are…
Poetry in the city. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] On a cold evening, with Christmassy lights hanging from buildings, Florian Morin is standing by a footbridge in Gurgaon in the Greater Delhi Region. “I like walking around,” he says. “In 2020,…
An unusual dwelling. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] He has one of the most unique addresses in the city. He lives in a graveyard. Alone. “This has been my home for 28 years,” mutters Asmuddin Ansari. In his…
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