Chaos

OR thousands entering New Delhi Railway Station via Paharganj, the journey begins well before the train. Caught in a tangle of unmoving traffic, overflowing markets, and encroached footpaths, passengers often find themselves walking the last 200-300 metres—not out of choice, but compulsion.

- IFRAH MUFTI @ New Delhi

A family of five sits restlessly inside a taxi, stuck approximately 250 metres from the station entrance. They’ve been here for nearly half an hour. The clock is ticking, and the train won’t wait. A coolie in a faded red shirt knocks gently on the window, motioning to the bags piled in the trunk.

“It’ll take you another 30-40 minutes to get in if you wait,” he says—not as a threat, but as a fact.