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…
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…
A fading profession. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] They are sitting on the floor, not on chairs, even though they are professional chair makers. The three gents are weaving cane chairs this icy afternoon in a central Delhi…
An unusual version of the same dish. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Winter means carrot halwa, means colour red. Not always. There is at least one place in Delhi that sells carrot halwa, which is not red. It…
Poetry in the city. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] She was Covid-free. Fully jabbed, always masked, she had been working from home since the coronavirus pandemic gatecrashed our world in early 2020. Finally, last week, omicron caught up with her. The…
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…
A homey tea house. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The air is foggy. It’s not the pollution, but the steam from piping hot chai boiling in a pan. This is an extremely buzzy tea house. And it’s extensive….
Humans and dogs. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Look at the gentleman entering the pricey patisserie. Isn’t he the revisionist historian who creates frequent Twitter tornadoes? And now appears another familiar face (okay, mask!). This must be the…
Into a bubble. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The tree is tall, wide and choked with green leaves. You can spend a long time surveying its immense proportions consisting of dozens of branches. The tree gets even more…
Travails in India. [By Mayank Austen Soofi; the above photo was taken in Calcutta] Delhi has been visited by many world famous celebs. The Beatles bought a sitar in Connaught Place. Gabriel García Márquez browsed for books in Khan Market….
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