Dawn light hits market boat stalls

Deep shadows cloak the wooden planks of a floating market boat in Ghaziabad, broken only by a sharp rim of golden dawn light tracing the curved edges of stacked produce crates. Early autumn air hangs heavy, though visible only through the muted, cool tones of the wet wood and the sparse, yellowing leaves of a nearby water hyacinth patch. The first vendor stalls stand huddled against the boat's side, their wares of leafy greens and root vegetables still wrapped in morning mist. Dramatic clouds press low against the horizon, their gray undersides against the brightening sky. A vendor's hand rests on a woven basket, fingers poised mid-gesture, while the water below reflects the fragmented light in shifting ripples. at the edge is the rough grain of the bamboo railing, worn smooth by decades of handling.