"Aayush, what did you do today?" Ritu asked as the car stopped at the Hauz Khas traffic signal. This was their daily routine. Aayush's teacher had suggested it as a way to get him to express more. It required patience like feeding an infant morsel by morsel.

She turned to look at him. He stared outside his window. A young boy, about his age, displayed a plastic police car, whose indicator lights shone and the siren rang when he pressed the white button on the top. ...