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This is around 4pm on a weekday at St Anne's High School in Bengaluru. The playground's perimeter is flanked by trees. Before the school bell rings, children can be heard chatting under the trees' shade as the day begins. As the watchmen rest for the day after a bustling morning, the crowd gradually makes its way inside the school and settles down. During the lunch break, the kids bring life back into the spot by having their kids sit on the arugus. The playground would be filled with the kids playing in the sun. Mothers who come to pick up their kids in the evenings wait for the kids' play to end on the arugus. Among the children's laughter, we see the moms laughing and conversing contentedly, completely forgetting about their daily "thakaan". It turns into a hangout where all the moms can unwind and overlook their children for a little while. For all the mothers , this turned into a daily routine. A few teens are also seen, busily talking about their homework or enjoying their evening munchies.In the afternoons, the watchmen take breaks in these shaded spots. For women and children, the trees offer a secure area for recreation.Among the children's laughter, we see the moms laughing and conversing contentedly, completely forgetting about their daily "thakaan". It turns into a hangout where all the moms can unwind and overlook their children for a little while. For all the mothers , this turned into a daily routine. A few teens are also seen, busily talking about their homework or enjoying their evening munchies.In the afternoons, the watchmen take breaks in these shaded spots. For women and children, the trees offer a secure area for recreation.

On a morning stroll through the lovely streets of Jayanagar, Bengaluru. I discovered a crowded restaurant. The trees on both sides of the restaurant form an extension of the restaurant. The seating spaces (arugus) beneath the tree provide shade for passersby. In order to enjoy their food and the fresh air, many of the people can be seen moving their food onto the pavement under the trees. In addition to serving as an oasis for pedestrians, these trees' shade also serves as a sanctuary for commuters. These shaded places are regularly used as convenient halting points by cyclists, drivers, and even transit users. These areas provide a calm retreat in the middle of the busy metropolis where people may unwind, socialise, or just take a break from their daily grind.

Today, I observed three children playing underneath the shade of a tree. While the canopy of this tree itself was not dense, its surrounding trees provided the children a shaded space to gather and play in. The tree had particularly large leaves. As I approached the children, I noticed that the children were playing with the large leaves that had fallen off. With utmost cheer, joy and zeal, the children were gathering, collecting, and assembling the large leaves on the shaded ground below. As I walked by the children, I saw them gently place a small Ganesh idol on the bed of leaves that they had laid down. All this, while the children, with large amounts of excitement and enthusiasm, had been creating a small space to keep their idol. Here, the trees, their canopies and the leaves brought together the act of worship and the act of play for the children.