waiting at the signal in adyar. forty seconds on the timer. autos, bikes, hatchbacks, a van. everyone arranged in loose rows that somehow make sense.
i put my phone in my pocket. [after capturing the pic]
the man in front of me sits wide on his bike, both feet planted, as if he’s holding the whole lane in place. to the left, an auto is tilted just enough to feel impatient. to the right, a silver van waits without drama.
no one here knows each other. still, everybody understands the assignment. inch forward. stop. leave room. don’t clip the mirror. don’t force it.
the city operates on this invisible mesh of shared understanding. hundreds of tiny, unrecorded agreements happening every minute.
we talk about being connected like it’s a software feature. like it requires a data plan.
but connection is just this. sharing the same heat. the same red light. the same small patience.
you don’t need to capture it.you just have to be there.
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