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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Death of a man. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The elderly gravedigger Allah Hu died on 25 April 2016. The details of his life are not known. The Delhi Walla had taken his portrait in August 2007 at…
The dead place. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The wall-sized menu chart is still there on the wall. It shows the same beloved dishes–macaroni masala veg, chilli chicken with rice, muffin, and brownie. One night The Delhi Walla…
The water resorts. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The wet sari clinging to her skin, Zeenat Begum is washing herself in cool water. The pool is covered with Kikar leaves. “It’s my hamam,” says the elderly woman. Picking…
The visible city. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Delhi is a voyeur’s paradise and The Delhi Walla also makes pictures. I take photos of people, streets, flowers, eateries, drawing rooms, tombs, landscapes, buses, colleges, Sufi shrines, trees, animals, autos, libraries, birds,…
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