Today IS another day!

A winter morning in Hyderabad....
Darkened windows, dreary skies, a muffled milk delivery man on a beaten up scooter, wood smoke permeating the air. As the skies lightens in the east, a hawk circles high up and the school autorickshaws begin to ply. The cast iron gate is cold to the touch and cold air nips at my ears, the tip of my nose as I wave my goodbyes.

A red-vented bulbul looks at me gravely till I chirp at him. He gives me an offended look and flies away, darting and swooping. The little birds in my guava tree quarrel noisily and chase each other off the branches. The pomegranate tree is laden with fruit. Lemons roll off from the prickly bush they hung from - little yellow markers amongst a tangle of inconsequential weeds.

By now, the sky is a beautiful blue and pale sunlight gilds the houses, turning greenery into gold.
A pigeon struts and coos on the ledge as a flock carves swathes of grey against the horizon. A group of construction workers gather on the cemented side walks, waiting for the truck that will transport them to work.

Vendors begin to voice their raucous calls while the aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the house. The fragrance of incense mingles with that of soap. I inhale and the air hits my lungs like droplets of ice-cold water - today is another day!