1 The lobby smelled of fresh orchids and expensive silence. Maya D’Souza pulled her oversized sunglasses lower over her nose, scanning the opulence of the Ocean View Grand, Mumbai’s most luxurious hotel. A chandelier hung like a frozen explosion of crystal above her, refracting shards of morning light across the marble floor. She hated places like this. Too clean, too cold, too rich. But today, she had no choice. “Reservation under Reema Sen,” she told the receptionist, her voice neutral. The name belonged to a woman who didn’t exist, created last night using a forged Aadhaar and a prepaid number.…
