Rajesh Parekh Dawn came to Puri like a slow bruise as the Bay of Bengal heaved against the shore, and when the water pulled back it left more than shells and plastic cups; it left a girl whose hair spread like seaweed, whose red kurti clung like skin, whose cheek bore a crescent of sand as if the beach had tried to close her eyes. Sankar Pradhan found her because he was always earlier than the gulls, because nets do not wait for proper daylight, because the sea pays better attention to men who arrive first. He waded, shouted, and…
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Anshuman Gupta The early morning sun struggled to pierce through the dense clouds that hung low over Gulmarg’s snow-covered slopes. The ski resort, usually bustling with tourists craving the pristine beauty of Kashmir’s winter, lay eerily silent, draped under a cold, misty blanket. Only the crunch of footsteps echoed faintly across the frozen grounds — footsteps belonging to Major Rehan Kaul. Rehan’s breath came out in visible puffs as he made his way toward the small wooden cabin at the edge of the clearing. It was the last place anyone had seen his sister alive. Samiya Kaul, a fearless journalist…