Weeks ago the Secretary read Kavya’s name, and her daughter’s file, and marked them reviewed, no action indicated. Samar brings her the news that same night. He thinks it is good news.

In eleven years Samar has never been within two floors of the Secretary. The summons says 15:00, Private Office, not disciplinary. Dev Sharma has read his file. All of it.

Vikram’s ninety-fourth file of the afternoon is his old maths teacher, the one who kept boiled sweets for boys who came to school hungry. Confidence 96.4. He approves it eleven seconds late.

Rehana Qureshi asked for a four-year expiry on a single flag. She lost three to one. Her minority note is four hundred and six words long, and anyone may request it.

Nine per cent off Fatima’s sugar. Then Kavya’s tap goes dry mid-rinse, with soap in her daughter’s eyes. The notice says scheduled maintenance. No crew ever comes.

Eleven crossings in twenty-two days, all outside rostered hours. Eleven days before the first, the same Handler argued for a child and lost. The correlation reaches Dev Sharma’s desk with his morning tea.