Gurugram, Sept. 2 -- A steady downpour on Monday yet again brought Gurugram to its knees. By evening, the town looked less like India's Millennium City, and more like an endless parking lot. Hours of rain turned roads - arterial, highways, and residential streets alike - into stagnant pools and its traffic into an unbroken snarl. Cars stood motionless, autorickshaws sputtered and died in knee-deep water, and commuters found themselves in a situation that brought back memories of a repeat of the infamous "Gurujam" of 2017 - when thousands of commuters were forced to abandon their vehicles and walk home. Most were confronted with a grim choice: spend the night at the office or risk being trapped for hours, if not longer, on impassable roads. By evening, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), alarmed at the scale of disruption, issued an advisory directing corporate offices to allow employees to work from home on Tuesday. Schools were asked to conduct classes online to avoid another day of paralysis. The downpour began innocuously enough in the afternoon. But by the time office-goers began heading home, the city was already buckling. Entire stretches of NH-48 were submerged near Hero Honda Chowk, Shankar Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, and Rajiv Chowk. For many, the only option was retreat. Ashu Singh, who works in Sector 67, said he set out for his home in Dwarka at 5.30pm but never made it past Vatika Chowk. "I spent almost four hours just trying to cover a short stretch," he said. "By the time I reached close to the Dwarka Expressway, I realised I would be stuck for the night. I turned back, and it was 9pm when I finally reached my office again. With no other option left, I will now sleep in office till 4-5am, and then see if it's possible to go home... if things get better."htc...