Hyderabad – June 12, 2025
The heat hit her like a wall the moment she stepped off the jet bridge. Even in the early morning, Hyderabad simmered under a thick canopy of humidity and grief. Anushree adjusted her sunglasses, her jaw tight, her steps measured. She had crossed oceans, time zones, and the distance of a fractured lifetime to be here. Now, the city she once called home barely felt familiar.
Outside the terminal, the scene was chaos.
Anushree's arrival in Hyderabad was met with intense media scrutiny, but she strategically redirected the narrative.As Anushree stepped out of the airport, the air crackled with an almost palpable energy. A phalanx of journalists, their microphones thrust forward like a united front, descended upon her. Their questions, a relentless barrage fueled by grief and speculation, assaulted her senses: "Ms. Anushree, our deepest condolences. What can you tell us about your sister's final moments?" "Is it true Minister Lakshmi Rajyam was investigating corruption? Do you believe this was an accident?" "How will this tragedy impact the government?" "What are your thoughts on the security lapses?" Each query was a probe, an attempt to penetrate the wall of her professional composure and breach the fortress of her personal grief.
The microphones, extensions of insatiable curiosity, seemed to amplify the very chaos she sought to navigate. Anushree, drawing upon years of intelligence training, maintained a steely resolve. Her expression remained impassive, her posture erect, a shield against the invasive onslaught. She offered a brief, dignified statement, her voice steady, acknowledging the profound tragedy and the need for privacy during this immensely difficult time.
With a practiced, almost imperceptible nod, she began to make her way through the throng, her mind already racing, cataloging the inconsistencies she'd observed and steeling herself for the investigation she was determined to undertake. In that moment, while the nation mourned Lakshmi Rajyam as a victim of the crash, Anushree harbored a growing unease, fueled by subtle inconsistencies she had observed in the preliminary reports, planting the seed of doubt that her sister might not be gone, or that her death was far more complex than a simple accident.
She strategically shifted the focus of the narrative, stating firmly, "Many died. Not just her. Don't forget them." This statement underscored her intention to honor all the victims, not just the prominent ones, and subtly hinted at her own burgeoning suspicions, a quiet rebellion against the accepted truth.