Gandhara Room B-412, Sub-Level 4, Eisenhower Executive Office Building1650 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C Adhrivan sat on the metallic chair, his hands resting on the table. Across from him, David Bowman sat in another chair at the far end, smoking his usual black cigarette. “So, Phase One in India was successful, huh?” he asked. Adhrivan…

Amanushak A small, empty room appeared on the television screen. The room held only a ragged couch and a small stand beside it carrying an ashtray. A man in his forties, dressed in a black shirt and black pants, walked into the room while smoking a cigar. He stopped at the centre of the screen…

I.N.A.Z. “How long will you continue this farce, Prime Minister Bheeshma?” The question cut through the room. A female reporter in her thirties rose slightly from her seat among nearly twenty-five journalists gathered before the dais. At the front sat Prime Minister Bheeshma, flanked by Home Minister Dheeksha Tripathi, and Cabinet Secretary Jai Druvan. “It…

The Double Fork “We are on our way, sir. But we can stop this anytime you want.” Mr. Ambarish Mithra, Deputy Inspector General of the National Investigation Agency, said into his phone as he sat in the back seat of the SUV. He had taken charge of the investigation into the IPK party and its…

Chitrasena’s Plea Aarav walked out of the house, changing into fresh clothes after a bath, and headed toward the beach. Kajjo was already there, sitting near a broken boat with the half-erased text Jes scratched across its side, reading a book. He approached her slowly. “Hello,” he said, awkwardly. Kajjo didn’t look up immediately. She…

Where to Now? Aarav lay face down on his old, ragged mattress. It had been a week since he arrived at this place. He went for meals twice a day—once in the morning and once at night—whenever Sabo called him. He freshened up at random times during the day. The rest of the time, he…

Unnamed Clan Prime Minister Residency, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi Mr. Pradhan Virupaksha, the National Security Advisor, adjusted his frameless glasses that sat over his sunken, dark-circled eyes. He rubbed his freshly shaven face—he had shaved just before the meeting—and exhaled slowly. It had been a sleepless night, spent collating information from various arms…

A Cry with Tears The tide had receded, leaving the sand slick and glimmering beneath the relentless noon sun. The beach stretched endlessly—a pale ribbon kissed by restless waves. Its shoreline was broken only by the jagged shadows of half-sunken wooden boats. Coconut trees leaned like tired sentinels over the barren dunes, their fronds brushing…

Night and Dawn Rudhra pressed his sword hard against Sabo’s, grunting with effort as the ground lurched beneath them, their footing shifting with every tremor. His eyes drifted past her—to Yodhika in the distance, the baby in her arms slowly fading away. In that brief moment of distraction, Sabo stepped forward—but the earth jolted. She…