World of a street. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is like being in a crowd, and suddenly everyone disappears — except you. This is what stepping into Gali Sham Lal feels like. Firmly keeping the boisterousness of Matia Mahal Bazar outside its dehleez, the introvert lane is a tunnel of dim light and quietness. Although a mere kebab’s throw from Jama Masjid’s Gate No. 1, and despite being the first of the many lanes that punctuate the much chronicled Matia Mahal, this is a barely known gali. The cramped lane comprises mostly of travellers’ lodges. The hoarding of Amreena Guest House looks weatherbeaten, as does of Al Ashfaq Guest House. The Urdu calligraphy on both hoardings is red