They haven’t given it a name yet, but a survivor of Monday’s suicide attack is fast becoming a symbol of hope and recovery at the Indian Embassy here. A half-burnt, tailless pigeon — one of some 200 “resident birds” that ITBP jawans used to feed every morning at the embassy — is being keenly watched for signs of recovery as it limps around the premises. While the bird may never fly again, the Indian Embassy in Kabul is fast getting back to shape and is scheduled to resume normal operations, including issuing visas, by Saturday.

Mangled pieces of metals, a stray shoe, shattered furniture, half-burnt visa forms are reminders of the massive blast that claimed four Indian lives but the Indian mission is keen to start work at the earliest. The Ambassador’s office is functional, the embassy’s direct satellite link with New Delhi has been made operational and even the campus Wi-Fi is back on line. With work on clearing debris in full swing, the Indian envoy is confident about resuming operations by the end of the week.

“We should start work, including issuing visas, by Saturday. The staff’s morale, under the circumstances, could not be better. They are showing remarkable dedication (to get the embassy functional),” Ambassador Jayant Prasad told The Indian Express.

A reason for the fast recovery and lack of structural damage to the mission building was a new security barrier put up by India last week after intelligence inputs indicated a major attack. The hexa-barrier, a thick wire mesh-and-mud barrier covering the embassy on all sides, absorbed the major impact of the blast and saved the building from serious damage.

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