Chapter 1 – Calm Waters, Unsettled SecretsThe Indian Ocean was unusually calm that afternoon.There were waves, but no playfulness in them—as if the sea itself was waiting for something.The sun stood directly overhead.The ship’s clock struck exactly two in the afternoon.This was not a regular maritime route.Just a few miles away from the Andaman–Nicobar Islands lay a stretch of water where the ocean grew deeper—and so did the questions.A joint patrol vessel of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard was moving steadily along that route.On the deck, a lookout stood frozen, binoculars pressed to his eyes, scanning the horizon.Blue sky.Blue