The Mehrauli Memoirs Part 6: Where is Zafar?

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 Read Part 5: Jahaz Mahal by clicking here

I did something I am ashamed of at this point, I misinterpreted the map. When Maps threw up Zafar Mahal, I looked at it, and wrongly thought that I understood it was due in which direction from my position. However, I was not going to lose the way for the first time this chapter. But the next time would be Sundarji’s fault. Where bylanes are apartment in-lanes, the GPS does not understand. A gate might suddenly appear on an “open” road on the map. When a path is more of a staircase and a subtle curve is a footpath alongside a nala, you have no option but to ask locals for directions. It does not help when every road going through every chowk is technically ‘Zafar Mahal Road’.

The dust and heat are finally taking a toll, I thought when in the middle of Mehrauli Market I saw an Indo-African store. I was not hallucinating. It exists.

Trudging back some part of the way I came, and taking new turns in newer chowks, passing even more butchers and bakers and beauty parlours, I got lost. I could not understand whether I was getting nearer, farther, or just going around Zafar Mahal. I thought I would spy it towering over the houses at some point, but my line of sight was blocked by syntex tanks and clotheslines. I asked a few boys discussing how to best bunk their tuition. Two did not even know what I was talking about. (Mentally I did the Bharatiya Uncle tsk-tsk). The third said “Mere ghar ke baju ko hai!” Another “Arre hame toh yeh pata hi nahi tha!”


 

I went in the general direction he pointed. I came to a small chowk filled with parked vehicles and did a 360. House-temple-SUV-house-gully-house-house-mobile repair shop-typing centre-gully-GATE. The cruel bastards, time and people, had surrounded Zafar Mahal like antibodies surround a virus. But who was the virus?

Beam by beam, stone by stone,
Transformed into concrete and steel and glass
Even the shut gate can’t keep
Zafar's cry within.

Read Part 7: Zafar's Absent Grave by clicking here

 

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