Mission Delhi – Champa Devi, Ansari Road
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] The pavement is cracked. Some of the tiles have loosened. A wooden bed is plonked along a portion of this damaged pavement. A roof has…
Mission Delhi – Islamuddin, Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] With a thick needle and a thicker strap of plastic, he is sewing a… what is it? It looks like a baby’s mattress. “I’m making…
City Landmark – Noori Masale, Bazar Chitli Qabar
The iconic spice shop. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Many people might fondly talk of “Noorie” as a beloved Hindi musical from 1979. It is particularly remembered for the Lata Mangeshkar song “Aaja re o mere dilbar aaja”….
Mission Delhi – Sanjana Paswan, Chirag Delhi
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Only a couple of hours into the afternoon, she already feels like the morning was in some other age. This long day is unfolding into…
Mission Delhi – Vinod Kumar Jain, Paharganj
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is evening. The man in mask is patiently looking out into the street through a curtained glass window. He is dressed in a three-piece…
Mission Delhi – Sameer, Connaught Place Subway
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] The evening is cold. He is standing idly in a Connaught Place subway. A street hawker, he sells what he calls “dream catchers”. Unlike the…
City Walk – Golf Links Glimpses, Archbishop Makarios Marg
Far from the madding crowd. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The earthen flower pot is sans the flowers. But it is gigantic, a showpiece worth showing off. This could be a drawing room corner in a 2BHK DDA…
Mission Delhi – Raj Kumar, Sadar Bazar
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Everything changes. The change barely becomes old when it changes again to something newer. Winter too is changing to summer, again. Raj Kumar’s eldest son…
Our Self-Written Obituaries – Manavi Mahajan, Delhi
The 275th death. [By Manavi Mahajan] On the eve of her birthday, she went to bed early with no one to wish her at midnight and never woke up. She died at the exact time she was born. Manavi was…
Mission Delhi – Suhail Ahmad, Sirkewalan
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] It was all settled. Suhail Ahmad, 30, would be a lecturer in medieval Indian history. Naturally he would also end up as a scholar in…
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