J oshua Thakur’s days are usually very hectic and planned. His mornings start at 5 am with a pour-over. “That’s non-negotiable. Life genuinely feels incomplete if I miss my morning coffee,” he tells indianexpress.com. The advertising executive from Hyderabad treats beverages like “emotional support, something that helps him stay on track. “They’re like little indicators or rewards I earn after I finish a task,” he says. And when the afternoon slump hits, he needs at least two beverages to pull him out of it. “A pour over and a Coke Zero. One to take the edge off, one to bring it back,” he shares. With the US-Iran War causing a Diet Coke shortage in India, Gen Z has been struggling without access to their “emotional support drink”. From memes to reels, social media is flooded with their withdrawal symptoms online. And here’s a quick video explaining why: Popularly labelled ‘fridge cigarette’ a few months ago, soft drinks have long been considered one of Gen Z’s go-to choices of coping mechanism.…