Once was ground zero

On the city places, and their fateful past

- Mayank Austen Soofi

The day has ended a couple of hours ago. By now, the tree-lined pathway in central Delhi's Barakhamba has grown deserted, except for an occasional man, or woman, hurrying towards the bus stop, or the metro station.

For the moment, the brightest light is emanating from citizen Sunder’s fruit salad stall (see photo). The man’s calming presence makes it even more surreal to recall that this peaceful area was once the site of a terror attack. It was among the five places targeted in synchronised bomb blasts in September 2008.