The morning of December 26, 2004, began like countless others for Ravi Krishnan. He arrived early at the All India Radio studio in Chennai, his shirt neatly ironed, his satchel carrying nothing but his lunch and the notebook he never filled. He was a sound engineer, not a broadcaster, and he preferred it that way. Read more…

The stairwell was packed—heels clattered against concrete, breath came in sharp bursts, someone was sobbing nearby. Maya Nair gripped the rail as she descended from the 78th floor of the South Tower, one hand wrapped tightly around her bag. Somewhere above, a voice crackled over the loudspeaker, urging calm. But calm had left the building Read more…