This is the prologue to every day in our three-generation home in Mumbai. It’s a symphony of chaos, love, compromise, and a million cups of chai.
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Amma sits in the corner, reading the newspaper aloud, critiquing the government, and occasionally shouting, “Beta, don’t forget the coconut chutney!” The vegetable vendor rings the bell at 8:15 AM sharp, and a quick negotiation for fresh peas takes place over the gate, delaying everyone by another five minutes. 6:00 AM
6:00 AM. The day doesn’t start with an alarm clock in our house. It starts with the distant, rhythmic sound of my grandmother, Amma, chanting slokas in the puja room, followed by the insistent “caw-caw” of crows on the windowsill. My mother believes feeding crows first thing in the morning pleases the ancestors. So, by 6:15 AM, she’s scattering a handful of grains on the balcony. My mother believes feeding crows first thing in