A New India
Chapter 151 - 151: A New Path - I

"The mission... failed," Saeed repeated, his voice devoid of any emotion, but the seriousness of his words struck heavily on the other end of the line.

Khalid Qureshi leaned back in his chair, the weight of the news pressing down on his shoulders.

His mind was spinning, replaying every detail of the plan in his head.

They had been so close, so dangerously close to striking the heart of R&AW. And yet, once again, they had failed.

Khalid's knuckles whitened as he gripped the edge of the desk.

His silence was enough for Saeed to understand the depths of his disappointment.

"I did everything I could," Saeed said, his voice steady but measured. "Rao saw me before I could make the hit. His security was faster than expected."

Khalid closed his eyes for a moment, suppressing the rage boiling inside him.

This was not just about missing an opportunity.

It was about the failure to deliver what Pakistan's military had been demanding, retribution, a victory to avenge Chagai Hills.

Now, they were left with nothing but another failed mission.

"You need to get out of New Delhi," Khalid finally said, his voice calm but sharp. "We can't risk you being caught. What you will now face will be the biggest revenge by any Intelligence agency on the world"

"I'm already moving," Saeed replied. "But Rao... he knows I was there. He'll be watching for me. I can try but I don't think I can escape him"

Khalid sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We'll figure out the next steps once you're safe. For now, disappear."

The line went dead, and Khalid slammed the phone down on his desk.

He stood up, pacing the room, his mind racing.

The generals wouldn't be pleased with this. They wanted blood, and now, with the failure of the assassination, their frustration would only grow.

Khalid stopped in front of the window, staring out into the darkness of Islamabad.

He knew what was coming, the military would demand answers, and worse, they'd push ISI harder.

His leadership was already being questioned after the Chagai disaster and the failed hit on Raghav Kapoor.

Another failure, and they might look for someone else to lead.

Because everyone knew after this what is incoming will be R&AW revenge which they are not sure if they can handle.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Abdul Rashid stepped in, his expression grim

He didn't need to ask to know the mission had failed. The tension in the room said it all.

"They want results," Abdul said, his voice low but steady. "The generals are growing impatient."

Khalid nodded, still staring out the window. "I know."

Abdul took a step forward. "We're not just dealing with failure. R&AW is going to retaliate. We need to be prepared."

"They will come for us," Khalid agreed, his voice calm. "But we'll be ready. They might have the upper hand for now, but this is far from over. This is what the generals will hear because the reality will kill us all"

New Delhi - R&AW Headquarters

The atmosphere at R&AW Headquarters was equally tense.

K.N. Rao sat at the head of the conference table, his face impassive as he listened to Ajay Singh and the other senior officers recount the events of the night.

"Security responded quickly," Ajay said, his voice tight. "But it was too close, sir. Saeed Khan got within feet of you. Another second, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Rao nodded, his face unreadable. He had been in the intelligence game long enough to know that close calls were part of the job.

But this was different. This wasn't just a routine threat, this was personal.

ISI had sent their best assassin after him, and that spoke volumes about how desperate they had become.

"They're under pressure," Rao said finally, breaking the silence. "Their military is breathing down their necks. They needed a win, and they thought killing me would give it to them."

Ajay leaned forward, his tone sharp. "And now? What's our next move?"

Rao was silent for a moment, his mind working through the possibilities.

He had always been a man who believed in strategic patience, but this wasn't the time for patience.

ISI had made their move, and now, it was India's turn.

"We strike back," Rao said simply. "But we do it quietly. We can't afford a public escalation, not now. The world's eyes are already on us after Chagai Hills. But we need to send them a message. We need to remind them that we can reach them, just like they tried to reach me."

Ajay's eyes flickered with understanding. "You're suggesting we target their leadership?"

Rao nodded. "A direct hit, but more then that something that will destabilize their command structure. We need to disrupt their operations from within. Their overconfidence after the Chagai Hills attack has left them vulnerable. We'll exploit that."

Ajay glanced at the other officers in the room, gauging their reactions.

It was clear that they were all on the same page. The time for caution was over.

"We've been monitoring their internal movements," one of the senior intelligence officers spoke up. "We've identified potential cracks in their communications. If we can tap into that, we might be able to feed them false intel, throw them off balance."

Rao leaned back in his chair, considering the proposal.

It was risky, but it had the potential to weaken ISI from the inside. "Do it," he said finally. "But keep it tight. No unnecessary risks."

Ajay nodded, already making notes in his mind. "And Saeed Khan?" he asked. "What do we do about him?"

Rao's face hardened. "He failed to kill me. That's a problem for ISI. But he's still out there, and that makes him our problem too. We'll deal with him, but on our terms."

Rao paused for a while and looked around

"He will die soon but the problem is those people feeding ISI information. It is not easy for them to arrange someone like Saeed this close to me"

Islamabad - ISI Headquarters

Khalid stood in front of the generals, his back straight, his face a mask of calm composure.

But inside, he felt the pressure building.

The room was silent as the senior military officers reviewed the latest reports.

The failed assassination attempt on K.N. Rao was now knowledge they knew and it had shaken Pakistan's intelligence and military leadership.