I need sunlight. And my Arjun Nagar flat doesn’t get any. Like many Delhi flats, it is low on windows and high on shadows. One room of the flat hangs over the narrow road below, and the rest of our living quarters extend inward into the building.

Sure, there’s a window in my room and in my housemate’s as well. But these windows open to a narrow passageway that extends straight up the center of my four-story apartment complex. You could get fresh air, but you won’t get sunlight.

I’ve been thinking about finding another flat — one with more windows and more sunlight. But I have to decide between sunlight and cool temperatures. Delhi’s summer heat waves climb to as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

Actually, “heat wave” is a misnomer. “Heat plateau” is better. It gets hot, and it stays that way.

Top it off, Delhi’s power capacity is apparently well below what it should be. And that means power cuts — or as we Americans might put it — rolling blackouts. No air conditioning for you young man.

My ex-housemate Nathan told me that last summer, when the power went out at night, you would immediately wake up. The ceiling fan was the only thing protecting you against the full summer heat, and a power cut meant no ceiling fan to move the hot air above your head.

So living in the shadows suddenly has its upside. But at the end of the day, I’m still getting sick of this lack of natural light. Though when the power goes out, the shadows might be my best friend.