The Message Reaches Delhi

It was a typical day in Delhi.

Prithvi, a seasoned operative with the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), sat in his office on Lodhi Road, sipping on a glass of cold water.

Prithvi was no stranger to intelligence reports crossing his desk.

Some were crucial, others merely noise.

After years of fieldwork and covert operations, he had grown a keen sense for picking out what mattered.

As the fan rotated lazily above, a clerk entered his office carrying a small, nondescript package.

"A diplomatic pouch just came in from Karachi," the clerk said, placing it on Prithvi's cluttered desk.

He didn't think much of it at first, diplomatic pouches came in all the time, often full of routine information.

But when the clerk added, "It's addressed to you directly, sir,"

Prithvi's hand paused mid-air.

Directly to him? That was unusual.

Prithvi's instincts sharpened as he carefully opened the pouch.