Kunal is arguing with his father over Wi-Fi speed. “Papa, how can I study for JEE if YouTube buffers?” “Back in my day, we studied from books!” “Back in your day, dinosaurs roamed the earth,” Kunal mutters, just loud enough to get a flying chappal aimed at his head. He ducks. It’s a practiced reflex.

6:00 AM – The Awakening

By 6:15 AM, (the mother) is already in the kitchen. She is the conductor of this chaos. With one hand she chops coriander for the subzi ; with the other, she packs a tiffin box for her husband, Rajeev . A sticky note on the fridge reads: "Don’t forget: Aloo paratha for Anjali’s lunch, Electric bill due, Call plumber."