A New India
Chapter 152 - 152: A New Path - II

"We put all our resources into this, Khalid," one of the generals finally spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "And we failed. What do we have to show for it?"

Khalid's voice was calm as he replied. "Rao was lucky. Next time, we won't miss."

"Next time?" the general scoffed. "There may not be a next time. R&AW will be tightening their defenses. They'll be expecting another attack. We can't afford to keep throwing men and resources at this."

Khalid didn't flinch. "Rao is a symbol for India's intelligence strength. Killing him would have crippled their morale. Yes, we failed, but the message was clear: ISI can reach him. They won't be complacent anymore."

The generals exchanged glances, their expressions grim.

One of them finally spoke up. "We need to reassess. We can't keep fighting this war in the shadows while R&AW stays one step ahead. We need to consider... other options."

Khalid's eyes narrowed slightly. "What options?"

The general's voice lowered. "Diplomatic pressure. Pakistan can't afford a full-scale confrontation, but we can push the international community to put pressure on India. We know about the Chagai Hills sabotage. The world doesn't. If we expose their role, it could force them to scale back their operations."

Khalid's mind raced. It was a dangerous game and one that could shift the balance in favour of no one.

"You want to go public with this?"

The general nodded. "It's time the world knew what India has been doing. They've crossed the line. It's time we push back."

Khalid stood in silence for a moment, weighing the options.

The military was losing patience, and ISI's failures were piling up.

He needed a victory, any victory, to keep control of the situation.

"I need to time" Khalid said finally. "I will come up with a plan far better and more feasible then this"

After thinking a lot the generals nodded. "Okay we give you one day"

As soon as the meeting ended,Khalid Qureshi stood alone in his office at ISI headquarters.

The assassination attempt on K.N. Rao, India's intelligence chief, had failed miserably.

They had come so close, but in the end, close wasn't enough.

Now, the pressure from Pakistan's military leadership was mounting, failure after failure was starting to shake their confidence in ISI's ability to deliver meaningful results.

But going public with the Chagai Hills sabotage? That wasn't the answer.

Khalid knew the risks involved. Exposing India's role in the destruction of Pakistan's nuclear ambitions could lead to diplomatic isolation.

Pakistan was already walking a fine line with its international allies.

They couldn't afford to play all their cards, not yet.

No, this war had to remain in the shadows.

There was another way.

Khalid turned to the large map of India pinned to his office wall.

His eyes traced the borders and cities, stopping briefly on Kashmir, then moving south.

Over the past few months, ISI had been collecting intelligence on groups within India that were dissatisfied with the government.

The idea had come up before, but now, after Chagai Hills and the failed assassination attempt, it seemed like their best option.

If ISI couldn't take down Rao or directly strike at R&AW, they could destabilize India from within.

The plan was simple in theory but difficult in execution, fund and arm extremists, and other marginalized groups within India.

With the right amount of support, they could sow discord, weaken the central government's control, and force India to focus on its internal fractures instead of its external threats.

This wasn't a military operation, it was a strategic, covert one.

And if it worked, India would be too preoccupied with its internal fires to focus on Pakistan.

A knock at the door interrupted Khalid's thoughts.

"Enter," he said, turning away from the map.

Abdul Rashid stepped into the room, his expression grim but focused.

Khalid had summoned him for an urgent meeting, and Abdul had a sense of what was coming.

"We can't afford another public failure," Khalid began, without preamble. "After the assassination attempt on Rao failed, the military wants results. But we need to play this smarter. A direct attack on R&AW will only lead to more failure. So we shift our focus."

Abdul frowned, waiting for him to continue.

"We're not going public with the Chagai Hills sabotage," Khalid said firmly. "It will hurt us more than it will hurt them. Instead, we turn India's strength against itself."

Abdul raised an eyebrow. "You mean...?"

"Insurgency," Khalid replied coldly. "There are enough groups inside India who are dissatisfied with the central government. Extremists, regional separatists, and religious factions that feel they've been ignored. We give them arms, money, and resources. Let India fight itself. We stay in the shadows and fuel the fire."

Abdul crossed his arms, thinking through the implications. "It's a long-term play," he said. "It'll take time to build those networks."

"Exactly," Khalid agreed. "But time is what we need and after I explain this to Generals they will agree and we let India bleed slowly. By the time they realize what's happening, it'll be too late."

Abdul nodded slowly. "Do we have the resources?"

Khalid walked over to his desk, picking up a file and handing it to Abdul. "We've been collecting intel on potential groups for months. The groundwork is already in place. We send our agents in to make contact, fund their operations, and supply arms. They'll do the rest."

Abdul opened the file and scanned the list of names and organizations.

Each group had been carefully vetted for their willingness to turn against the Indian government.

Some were militant extremists, others were simply disillusioned with the central authority.

But all of them had one thing in common, a deep-seated anger toward the Indian state.

"Who will lead the operation?" Abdul asked, closing the file.

"I will oversee it," Khalid replied. "But I want you to coordinate with our field operatives. We'll send agents into India under deep cover. We can't risk being exposed. If this comes back to us, it will be war."

Abdul's expression hardened. "Understood. We'll need to be smart, we can't afford any mistakes.