From LPG kitchens going dark to a defence sector surging, the US-Iran conflict has exposed just how deeply India's economy is wired into a region that is now on fire — and how thin the government's diplomatic buffer really was. The Timeline: How Fast Things Moved The crisis did not arrive slowly. It arrived the way a storm does — visible on the horizon for weeks, and then suddenly at the door. Feb 28 US-Israel launches first wave of airstrikes on Iran. The Strait of Hormuz enters a disruption phase almost immediately. Mar 2026 Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura refinery is struck. Qatar halts LNG production after an attack on Ras Laffan. India's LPG supply chain begins fracturing. Mar 10 PM Modi calls Gulf leaders, speaks to Trump on March 24 about the West Asia situation. India publicly positions itself as seeking resolution. Mar 25 Indian Express publishes a widely-read piece comparing the war's psychological and economic disruption to the early days of Covid-19. Apr 2026 ...
The sun rays fought their way through the gap in the curtains, slicing across my eyes like a physical blow. My alarm screamed—a digital screech that seemed to vibrate inside my teeth. I swiped it off, the silence rushing back in, but the relief didn't follow. I lay there, staring at the ceiling fan cutting through the stagnant air. Which day is this? I wondered. It felt like the same day I had lived for the past six months. A gray, heavy loop. "Get up, Sruthi," I whispered to the empty room. "Just get up." I am Sruthi. On paper, I am a twenty-eight-year-old Senior Analyst at a top-tier firm. I am supposed to be in the prime of my life—ambitious, vibrant, climbing the ladder. But as I peeled the duvet off my body, I didn't feel twenty-eight. I felt ancient. I had slept eight hours. I had gone to bed at 10:00 PM like a disciplined child. Yet, as I swung my legs over the side of the bed, gravity felt twice as strong as it should be. There was no "ready to ...