Delhiwale: Accounting in Laxmi Nagar

Radiant chartered accountants beam at you from posters as you walk down the footbridge at this Metro station

It’s no secret that Delhi can never get its fill of foot overbridges. They’re all over the place. And especially at Metro stations, where they quickly assume a character of their own.

Footbridge in east Delhi spanning the clogged Vikas Marg at Laxmi Nagar Metro station. (Mayank Austen Soofi / HT Photo)

That long foot overbridge at Old Faridabad, for instance, has an escapist feel to it, as though the city is far, far away.

Then, we have the bridge in east Delhi spanning the clogged Vikas Marg at Laxmi Nagar Metro station. Here, in mid-afternoon, young romantics are huddled by the railings; while at some distance, three young women furtively smoke a cigarette.

But that’s not what this particular bridge is all about.

Its overall theme is strictly commercial. All around are hundreds of banners suggesting that you urgently need coaching in chartered accountancy, right now, no question about it.

While foot overbridge elsewhere might present banners of film stars or cricketers, the Laxmi Nagar bridge is otherwise a postered hymn to career people, to “shining stars” Subhansu Goel and Prachi Jain. There they are, these confident CAs, smiling down at us.

The bridge tapers into a corridor as it nears the ticket counter. But, here too, it overlooks walls plastered with beaming faces of accountancy teachers and students who became CAs. One afternoon, we saw a young man morosely bending his head down over the railing as if he was overwhelmed by this conspicuous celebration of careerism.

Perhaps he ought to take note of those romantic couples along the railings, particularly in the evening when more of them turn up.