The house empties. Men and women (in urban India, most mothers work outside the home too) head to offices. But the family network remains active via a WhatsApp group named “The Sharma Dynasty.”

The 6:00 AM chaos reduces to 6:00 AM silence. Mother still makes three tiffins out of habit, then stares at the empty boxes. Father still yells at the TV, but there is no one to appreciate his wit.

If morning is a sprint, evening is a carnival.