India, April 9 -- Some hid their departure behind made-up family occasions, and others quietly admitted the truth, but all left with heavy bags and heavier hearts.

The LPG crisis is forcing migrants to leave the city for their villages, hoping the separation from the place they call home will be brief.

Railway stations across Delhi-NCR seem busier than usual. Hundreds of migrant labourers stream out with their belongings - mattresses, utensils, and multiple bags piled high on their heads and shoulders.

The reasons: shortage of LPG cylinders, delays in refilling, and soaring black-market prices.

Disappointment writ large on the face of Radhey Sham, 38, who worked as a gig worker by day and a security guard by night. He decided to retur...