The clock had struck eight in the morning, and the yellow and orange hue rays of sunlight were slowly spreading across the sky . Birds sat perched on the branches of  trees, chirping softly .

The city of Delhi was now fully awake. The streets hummed with the distant sound of traffic. Some people were heading to work. Some hurried toward schools and colleges, still rubbing sleep from their eyes. And there were still some who were buried under their blankets, stubbornly refusing to wake up.