Scene 1: Morning Routine
The first rays of sunlight crept through the thin curtains of the Sharma family's rented home in Gota, Ahmedabad. The faint chirping of birds mingled with the distant hum of early morning traffic. Lihas Sharma stirred awake, his body aching slightly from the previous day's long hours at the workshop. For a moment, he lay still, savoring the quiet before the day's chaos began.
"Lihas, wake up! You'll be late for work," his mother, Sunanda Sharma, called from the kitchen. Despite her recent surgery, she insisted on keeping the household running smoothly.
"Coming, Ma!" he replied groggily, stretching his arms before getting out of bed.
The house was modest but functional—a two-bedroom setup with a small living room and a kitchen that doubled as a dining area. After freshening up in their shared bathroom, Lihas joined his father, Sitaram Sharma, at the dining table.
Scene 2: Breakfast Conversations
Breakfast was simple but hearty—thepla, sabzi, and steaming cups of chai. Ananya was already seated, scrolling through her phone while munching on a piece of thepla.
"Bhaiya," she began without looking up, "did you see the news? They're saying the Russia-Ukraine war might end soon."
"Hmm," Lihas replied distractedly as he poured himself some tea. "That's good news if it happens. But even if it ends, the damage is done."
Sitaram nodded. "It's not just about ending the war; it's about rebuilding everything that's been destroyed. The global economy has taken such a hit."
Sunanda chimed in from the kitchen. "And what about us? Prices keep going up for everything—vegetables, oil, rent. It's becoming harder to manage."
Lihas sighed. He didn't need reminders of how tight their finances were—he lived it every day.
Scene 3: Heading to Work
After breakfast, Lihas grabbed his bag and stepped out into the bustling streets of Gota. The neighborhood was alive with activity—vendors setting up their stalls, children heading to school, and office-goers rushing to catch buses or auto-rickshaws.
On his way to the workshop he co-owned with his father, Lihas stopped by to chat with their neighbor and fellow businessman, Ramesh Patel. Ramesh ran a small hardware store nearby and often served as a sounding board for Lihas's thoughts.
Scene 4: Chat with Ramesh Patel
"Good morning, Rameshbhai," Lihas greeted as he approached the shop.
"Ah, Lihas! Morning! How was yesterday's match?" Ramesh asked with a grin.
"It was brilliant! India won," Lihas replied enthusiastically. "But today it's back to reality."
Ramesh chuckled knowingly. "Reality is tough these days. Business has been so slow lately."
"Tell me about it," Lihas said as he leaned against the counter. "The war in Ukraine has disrupted supply chains everywhere. Even welding materials are harder to source now."
Ramesh nodded gravely. "And have you heard about the tax hikes in the U.S.? It's affecting imports here too."
"Yes," Lihas said thoughtfully. "It all trickles down eventually. Higher costs for raw materials mean higher prices for us—and customers aren't willing to pay more."
The conversation shifted to broader topics—the global economy, rising inflation, and how small businesses like theirs were struggling to stay afloat.
Scene 5: The Workshop
By mid-morning, Lihas reached his workshop—a rented space tucked into a busy industrial area. His father was already there, inspecting some equipment.
"Good you're here," Sitaram said without looking up. "We've got three orders to finish today."
Lihas nodded and got to work immediately. Welding sparks flew as he focused on his tasks, but his mind wandered back to his conversation with Ramesh.
Scene 6: Lunch Break
Lunch was a simple affair—a packed dabba of roti, dal, and sabzi prepared by Sunanda earlier that morning. As they ate together in a corner of the workshop, Sitaram brought up their financial situation.
"We need to renegotiate our rent with the landlord," he said between bites. "If we don't get some relief soon, we'll have to cut back on something else."
"I know," Lihas replied grimly. "But what can we cut? We're already running on bare minimums."
The conversation turned to potential solutions—expanding their business by taking on larger projects or finding additional clients—but both knew it wasn't easy in such uncertain times.
Scene 7: Evening Reflections
After finishing work for the day, Lihas returned home exhausted but determined not to let his worries show. Dinner was another simple meal—rice and khichdi—shared around the dining table.
As they ate, Ananya brought up another news story she had read about businesses in Ukraine adapting despite the war.
"It's amazing how resilient people can be," she said thoughtfully.
"Yes," Sitaram agreed. "But resilience only goes so far when you're fighting against forces beyond your control."
Lihas remained quiet but couldn't help reflecting on his own situation. Like those Ukrainian businesses adapting to war conditions or American firms dealing with tax hikes, he too had to find a way forward despite the odds stacked against him.
Scene 8: Final Thoughts
As he lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling fan spinning lazily above him, Lihas thought about everything he had discussed that day—the war in Ukraine, rising taxes in the U.S., and how global events were impacting even small businesses like his own in Ahmedabad.!