Portrait of a citizen.

[Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi]

Some places in the city evoke the spirit of a much-thumbed book—creased by time, rich in memory. Delhi’s Sunday Book Bazar is one such place. Held every week at the Mahila Haat exhibition ground on Asaf Ali Road, it is perhaps the country’s finest market for used books. Dating back to the 1960s, when it began in Daryaganj, the bazar has changed locations and evolved with the city. A few booksellers from the bazar’s pioneering days are still manning the bazar. The gracious Qamar Syed is one such presence. This year, he completes fifty years in the iconic market. For the past two decades, he has also served in the top-boss role of pradhan (or sadar) of the bazar traders’ body, the Daryaganj Sunday Patri Welfare Association. On a recent Sunday, as customers browsed his stall and bargain chatter flowed around him, the unassuming man agreed to become a part of our Proust Questionnaire series, in which citizens are nudged to make “Parisian parlour confessions”, all to explore our distinct experiences.

The principal aspect of your personality.
I am a policeman’s son. I learned my values from him. I do my work with full dedication and honesty. I never lie.

What do you appreciate most in your friends?
The ability to give frank advice when asked. They should also be respectful to women and elders, and kind to animals.

Your main fault.
I speak khari baat—complete straightforward truth. Many times, people feel hurt by it.

Your favourite names.
Aliya, my wife’s name. And Guddi, Shehzadi, Tabassum, Tarana, Tarannum, and Irshad—the names of my children.

Your idea of misery.
It has already happened. The death of my son. Khurshid suddenly died when he was just eighteen.

Where would you like to live?
In front of Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. I actually grew up in Old Delhi, not far from the masjid. Later, after my marriage and as the family grew, I moved across the Yamuna to Welcome JJ Colony.

Your heroes in real life.
My parents—Habibun Nisha and Mohammed Taha. They are buried next to each other in the Dilli Gate graveyard, near Old Delhi. But I buried my son in a graveyard closer to my present home in Welcome.

The natural talent you wish you had.
The ability to remain calm, especially now when I’m 60. I get angry very quickly, which must be the likely cause of my high BP (blood pressure) problem.

Your motto in life
Always wake up on time.