Rickshaw Puller Resting in Shade Kozhikode

Dust hangs low and heavy above the cracked earth, catching the soft, diffused glow of an overcast late afternoon in Kozhikode. From behind, a rickshaw puller sits slumped against the cool shadow of a corrugated metal wall, his body still after the heat of the day. The dry season has stripped the nearby vegetation to brittle stalks, while the air remains thick with suspended particles that soften the distant street. His faded cotton shirt clings to his back, marked with sweat stains, and the wooden spokes of the cycle wheel stand out against the dusty ground. A faint shadow stretches from his legs across the uneven pavement, grounding him in this quiet moment of pause.