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Books are mystically powerful. They talk in silence, take you to places & drive you crazy with their infectious aroma. They are potent in satisfying each of our five senses. Maybe that is why people still prefer to stuff their bookshelves despite the rising popularity of electronic modalities of printed items. And continuing an age-old legacy that strives to provide people with this pristine form of joy makes me swell a bit with pride.
My great grandfather, Mr Faqir Chand, had been the proud owner of a flourishing Peshawar bookstore since 1931. But compelled by the adversities of partition, he had to leave everything behind. Later, in 1951, he was allotted a bookshop in New Delhi's Khan Market during a rehabilitation drive for the partition victims. He toiled to win patrons across countries & gained clients, building an empire from scratch and inspiring his succeeding generations to continue the legacy without fail.
Nostalgia runs big every time we step on the threshold of our shop. To maintain authenticity, we haven't changed the ambience yet. Our customers enjoy the rusty vibes. They love it when they bump into a stack of books & serendipitously find the books they have been wanting for a long time. We find delight in knowing people personally & recommending books to their taste. Being a part of the bookstore, I have been privileged enough to have met important personalities like Ramila Tapar, William Dalrymple, and Amish Tripathi. We have had amazing discussions over coffee.
Moreover, about a year ago, I started capturing various dimensions of Khan Market. My snaps have started getting good responses. For this, I owe my friend, Mayank Austen (@thedelhiwalla), as he showed me how lenses could help us weave memories.
Nevertheless, our bookstore continues to remain my prime source of interest. I have seen Khan Market evolve over the years, with shops building and demolishing. But we are still there, all the same. When people who used to buy books from us, come with their grandchildren to buy books for them. I see constancy winning over transience. Maybe our bookstore must sing in sync with the brook, ‘For men may come and men may go, but I go on forever’.
Delhi Stories is an emerging platform to feature inspirational, motivational, relatable and beautiful stories. Do you also have a legacy story like Faqir Chand Book Store?
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