Gali Captain Wali in Old Delhi, once lively, now feels deserted. Saif, a machine repairer, reflects on its past, while silence prevails in narrow lanes. Captains lived here, just don’t ask what ...

His workshop is scooped into a lonesome stretch of Gali Captain Wali in Old Delhi. This afternoon, the narrow lane is empty. All the machines in Saif’s workshop are lying mended, the repairer says.