City Moment – Two Dreams, Jacobpura, Gurgaon Moments by The Delhi Walla - July 31, 2019July 31, 20190 The memorable instant. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It’s just a small pavement tea stall at Gurgaon’s Jacobpura in the greater Delhi region, but it is home to at least two dreams — one that did not materialise, the other that might or might not materialise. The stall is manned by Munna Prasad and Azad Kumar. Mr Prasad is 40 and Mr Kumar is 18. The former is “chacha” (uncle) to the latter, who is his “bhatija”. The older gentleman says he had a dream when he was of his nephew’s age. “I wanted to be a pilot .... I wanted to learn to fly planes.” Mr Prasad then lived at his remote village in Rohtas, Bihar, and while working in his
Mission Delhi – Ramji Das, North Delhi Mission Delhi by The Delhi Walla - July 30, 2019July 30, 20190 One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Ramji Das is trying to tie a knot around a metal rod with a raggedy fabric here on this North Delhi pavement. This rod he’ll wield to ward off street dogs. “That’s all I need to deal with them,” he explains in his shrill raspy voice. “I don’t need any person for company.” All alone in the world, Mr Das speaks in a very literary sort of Hindi you rarely hear outside the Hindi literature lecture halls. But, he says he’s never gone to any college. “I left my parents in UP long, long ago when I was very young.” He pauses for a second, then says he never
City Monument – Goatskin Mashaks, Old Delhi Monuments by The Delhi Walla - July 30, 20190 Finding lost time. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Delhi is changing furiously and yet, a precious souvenir of our vanished past has miraculously survived in a corner of the Walled City. A sidewall at Mushtaqeem Chai Stall, outside Jama Masjid, has long leathery bags hanging from metal hooks. These are goatskin water bags called mashak. Centuries ago, water-sellers roamed along the labyrinthine alleys of Shahjahanabad selling cold water in these mashaks. You might have stumbled upon them in your history books. Mughal emperor Humayun was said to be once drowning in Ganga and was rescued by a water carrier, Nizam, who gave him his mashak to swim over the furious waters. Which means the Mughal empire’s long life became possible because
City Food – White Rasgulla + Double Roti, Around Town Food by The Delhi Walla - July 29, 2019July 29, 20190 An unusual pairing. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Lalta Prasad has been selling this unusual combo of white rasgulla-and-double roti (white bread) that obviously appeals. As a street vendor he’s hawked the specialty for more than 20 years — and customers return for more. “This pairing isn’t odd at all,” explains Mr Prasad. Most of his regulars are labourers and rickshaw pullers who need a quick energy boost. Priced at 10 rupees, a plate has two exceedingly sweet but delicious rasgullas and a slice of bread cut into halves. He rises at 4 am every day to prepare it all (he gets “factory bread” from a grocery). And by 9 am, he’s out on the streets near his home in Sarai Kale Khan
City Hangout – Seema & Nasir’s Snack Stall, Ghalib Street Hangouts by The Delhi Walla - July 28, 2019July 28, 20190 Stall of love. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It’s so appropriate. They live in a lane named after Delhi’s greatest love poet who penned many verses on mohabbat, mehboob and ishq. Seema and Nasir Nabi of Ghalib Street in Central Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti. Theirs is a tale of long-time romance, still unfolding, and forever in bloom. The middle-aged couple run a snacks stall on Ghalib Street. Seema, formerly a Kapoor, says, “We had a love marriage arranged by our parents despite the fact that we were from different faiths.” She is sitting tonight behind the counter with Nasir Nabi. “I still remember when we first met more than 30 years ago,” interjects the husband, a graceful man wearing a kurta with
Mission Delhi – Naina Singh, Central Delhi Mission Delhi by The Delhi Walla - July 26, 20190 One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Loneliness is often feared. And especially when living on your very own in a crowded city like Delhi. But cleaning woman Naina Singh says she’s fine with it, insisting that, in fact, she loves being independent. “I feel wonderful, like an empress,” she declares with a broad smile, as she takes it easy under a shading tree here in Central Delhi. Having just finished her shifts in two households, Ms Singh now reflects on the idea of loneliness. Her husband, Vijay, died of a heart attack a few years back, and living the solitary life has indeed called for years of “training,” she avers. Now giggling, Ms Singh shows us her
City Life – Hawkers’ Closing Hours, Pragati Maidan Metro Station Life by The Delhi Walla - July 25, 20190 Melancholic time of the day. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Something resembling melancholy tends to settle across the vast city in early evening when the crowded streets rapidly empty. Take, for instance, that path leading to Pragati Maidan Metro station in Central Delhi—jam-packed with pavement hawkers during the day. But now….well, Muhammed Naseem has already shut down his moongphali stall, even as Manish is filling up stuffed animals into a sack. The soft-spoken Kismet Ali who sits with his weighing machine has already left for home in Anna Nagar. Dheeraj is filling the gunny bag with his unsold stacks of books and Dhirendra Jha is gone with his bundles of socks and handkerchiefs. The young Sonu, selling paneer cheelas, still hopes “at least
City Food – Vanshas Candy Cart, Sadar Bazaar, Gurgaon Food by The Delhi Walla - July 24, 2019July 24, 20190 Childhood rekindled. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Some experiences belong to only premillennial childhoods. Like being able to spend, and enjoy, an entire day without the smartphone. Or, being addicted to unbranded candies, mouth fresheners and spicy churans sold by street hawkers. Vanshas Sweets, Supari and Churan is a roadside shack in Gurgaon’s Sadar Bazaar, in the Greater Delhi Region, and is very special. It is crammed with all those aforementioned candies, mouth fresheners and churans that made up the early years of many of us who grew up when the Spice Girls were the Lady Gaga of the time. The cart’s best-sellers are undoubtedly the candies—the orange santre ki goli and the black sweet-sour machli ki goli. The latter’s name
Our Self-Written Obituaries – Kashiana Singh, Chicago Farewell Notice by The Delhi Walla - July 24, 2019July 24, 20191 The 239th death. [Text and photo sent by Kashiana Singh] In leaving as in coming, Kashiana Singh left behind many monochromatic moments. She wrote down a few wishes, on checkered pages (she loved checkered notebooks)in pencilled cursive hand Carpe Diem If I could plant myself on my dada’s knee again I would listen, rapt as he fed me almonds, but I would feel his fingers, where the knuckles knotted stories If I could borrow my nani’s lace dupatta again I would remember to wear it like a pilgrimage I would celebrate her indiscernible life, hued into its layers If I could hold my brother close to my chest I would hold gently, enfolding my arms around his neck I would not let go, embracing ferociously till my breath became
Mission Delhi – Samina, Central Delhi Mission Delhi by The Delhi Walla - July 24, 20190 One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] As a single mother Samina supports herself and her baby, Sufiyan, by begging. And with some success. “I’m earning enough to at least have rotis twice daily,” reports the 20-year-old. She and her baby boy are living in a Lodhi-era ruin in central Delhi--after kicking out her husband who refused to work. Samina is no stranger to hardship. She grew up in Delhi without much motherly love. “I have no clue to her whereabouts, not even her mobile number… I think she is somewhere in Bihar,” she says. Her father died in an accident when she was small. Four years ago she met Shahid who was working as a cleaner