Waiting for deployment ...

Anvi sat in her grandmother's Chennai home, sari folded carefully beside her uniform. Tomorrow she'd deploy, leaving behind the jasmine-scented courtyard where generations had gathered. Her grandmother pressed a small kolam design into her palm. "Create your own path, beta. Dominate your fears with charm and grace." Outside, the Madras heritage streets hummed with evening songs. Anvi watched neighbors arrange flowers for the temple, their outrageousness of color matching her racing heart. She should feel anxious, but this community anchored her. Tamil resilience ran through her veins. When she returned, there'd be celebrations here, stories shared under stars. For now, she simply waited, ready.