The Delhi Walla in the fatherland. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is 7 am. The room is lined with old paperbacks. Tiger, the house dog, is looking out of the grill into the garden. Rosemary, the maid,…
The Delhi Walla in the fatherland. [Text and picture by Mayank Austen Soofi] Reeling under unending terror attacks, Pakistan is all set to host its first major literary event on March 21, 2010. The budget of Karachi Literature Festival is…
The Delhi Walla in the fatherland. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] I’m standing outside McDonald’s at Park Towers shopping mall. The sea wind is breezy. The evening traffic is moving at a snail’s pace. Suddenly, a bearded man…
One of the one per cent in 13 million. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Coming out of the kitchen, she stops at the centre of the room and looks around. Rachana Rao Umashankar’s apartment is bustling with life….
Connaught Place after 8 pm. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] To listen to Delhi’s heartbeat, make a round of the Inner Circle (or Outer Circle) in Connaught Place. Do it after 8 pm. Don’t walk inside the corridor…
One of the one per cent in 13 million. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] A moment ago, she was smiling. Now, she is crying. “Why these tears, Aarti?” asks The Delhi Walla. The eight-year-old girl shakes her head….
Inside the Lutyens’ bungalow. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] The former residence of India’s first female Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, here she was assassinated by her own bodyguards in 1984. But this memorial is more than just a…
The Capital’s fall. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Leaves are falling. As summers get closer, trees across Delhi have started shedding their leaves. If it’s windy, the yellowed leaves drop continuously in a gentle shower. By noon, roads…
One of the one per cent in 13 million. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] This is her first visit to a Church, but she is sleeping through it. On the warm morning of February 27, 2010, Sarah Rose…
The qawwals of Hazrat Nizamuddin. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is amusing to see Delhiwallas scramble for pricey tickets each time a ‘big’ sufi music star such as Abida Parveen or Kailash Kher lands in the town…
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