Gathering

The conference room at the R&AW headquarters was dim.

Rao stood at the head of the polished wooden table, his eyes scanning the five operatives seated before him India's most trusted and skilled intelligence officers on Tibet.

(R&AW has many experts and operative depending on their expertise. A expert on Tibet will handle the Tibet Desk, experts on China will handle China Desk so on and on.)

Each had been handpicked for their expertise, their ability to operate without leaving a trace, and their unwavering commitment to the mission.

This was the kind of silence Rao expected focused, disciplined, professional.

Rao looked at them for a moment before speaking. "What we are about to discuss does not leave this room. The stakes are too high. If even a whisper of this reaches the wrong ears, it won't just be the operation that collapses it'll be our credibility, our position in the region, and possibly even the safety of this nation."