: Many days begin as early as 5:00 AM with the mother preparing tea and breakfast for the household. It is common to see rituals like watering the Tulsi plant or performing a morning puja (prayer).
After breakfast, the family members get busy with their daily chores. The mother usually takes care of the household work, while the father heads out to work. The children get ready for school, and the grandparents spend time with them, sharing stories and wisdom.
In the small balcony, Ramesh sat in a plastic chair, sipping ginger chai. He was technically reading the news, but mostly he was listening to the neighborhood wake up: the rhythmic clack-clack of the neighbor’s gate, the distant cry of the vegetable vendor selling fresh spinach, and the chirping of sparrows in the bougainvillea.