(Flashback)
The cold September night in New Delhi was quiet, with the usual hustle of the capital significantly calm. The city's streets, typically alive with activity even after dusk, were now eerily still.
In this calm, however, a significant moment in South Asian history was about to unfold within the walls of a secluded, well-guarded government bungalow.
Prime Minister Rohan Varma sat alone in a dimly lit room, staring at the fireplace where flames danced and crackled, offering warmth in the biting cold.
He had been expecting this meeting for weeks, ever since he had first received the cryptic message from Kathmandu.
The King of Nepal, Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, had expressed an interest in opening a dialogue one that would remain strictly off the record.
The stakes were high, and the secrecy surrounding the conversation only added to the tension.