One of the one percent in 13 million.

[Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi]

The barefoot man is lying on the long pavement wall. Perched precariously along the narrow width of the wall, he is silently watching the evening traffic on the road, here in central Delhi. One wonders what is going on in his mind.

But first a brief account of the citizen’s life and circumstances that have propelled him to this seemingly mundane moment.

In his mid-20s, Abdul Ghaffar grew up at his Bihar village in zila Darbhanga. His late father was a tailor. His mother works as a dish washer in village households. Soon after his marriage, he became a “raj mistri,” a labourer skilled in demolishing old buildings due to be replaced by new structures (his tools for the job tend to be as rudimentary as a hammer).

During the rainy monsoon months, construction projects in his district come to a standstill, obliging him to move to Delhi for the season. In the Capital, he grabs whatever job is available. Such has been his routine for some years. This monsoon, he once again boarded Bihar Sampark Kranti Express, and arrived in the city 14 days ago, finding work as a dishwasher at an eatery. The workday comprises of double shifts—from 10am to 3pm, and from 5pm to midnight. The eatery owner has set his salary at ₹7,000, which he is to receive after clocking in for a month.

Now, here is Abdul Ghaffar’s response on just what is going on in his mind, as he lounges atop the
pavement wall.

“What to do? Where to go? So much tension. I spent my first two nights in Dilli under that flyover. On the second night, my wallet and my Aadhar card were stolen—this city is full of thieves. I do not have much money. I get free food from the eatery, the (eatery) maalik gives me some cash for my daily expenses, and also lets me sleep at night inside the eatery, but…. when will I be able to send money home to my mother and wife. I have two little daughters.“

Abdul Ghaffar falls silent. He continues to lie on the wall, watching the evening traffic on the road.

[This is the 587th portrait of Mission Delhi project]