India, Oct. 6 -- In the midst of the city's relentless cacophony, I've carved out a patch of serenity - not in a backyard, but on my balcony. It began as a modest attempt to bring some green into a life dominated by concrete monstrosities. A few pots, a couple of flowering plants, a creeper for the railing. But slowly, almost secretly, it grew - not just in size but in significance. Today, my balcony garden has become more than a space. It is an alternate world, a parallel reality I escape into - where time sheds its cosmic urgency and silence becomes my sensory tool.

Each morning, I step into the verandah and enter a surreal world awash with the kaleidoscopic hues of blooming flowers. The moment I open the door, a wave of freshness rush...