August 18th, 1947
The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the makeshift office as Arjun studied the intelligence reports spread before him. Three days had passed since independence, and already the cracks in the hastily constructed nation were beginning to show. Communal riots had erupted in Punjab, refugees streamed across the new borders in both directions, and most critically, the princely states were playing a dangerous game of wait-and-see.
A knock interrupted his concentration. "Enter," he called, not looking up from the map of Kashmir that dominated his desk.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel entered, his expression grim. Behind him followed a man that Arjun didn't recognize from his historical studies, at least not the face – Major General Akbar Khan. As soon as Arjun heard his name, he stilled. This 'Akbar Khan' was currently serving in the Indian Army but was destined to go to Pakistan, during partition, and lead the tribal invasion of Kashmir.
"Prime Minister," Patel said, settling into a chair, "we have a problem. Our sources indicate unusual activity along the Northwest Frontier. Tribal gatherings, weapons movement, Pakistani military advisors moving in civilian clothes."
Arjun set down the report he was reading and looked directly at Khan. The man's face was carefully neutral, but something was deeply wrong. This wasn't the Khan that he knew. Yet here he was, wearing an Indian Army uniform, holding an Indian commission.
The implications hit him like a thunderbolt. The timeline had already shifted in ways he hadn't anticipated. This 'Khan's' presence in the Indian Army meant someone had orchestrated his placement here, likely with Pakistani intelligence backing. This was far more dangerous than a simple defection - this was a deep-cover operation.
"General Khan," Arjun said quietly, his eidetic memory rapidly cross-referencing every detail he could recall about the man, "what's your assessment of the tribal situation?"
Khan shifted slightly, and Arjun caught the micro-expression of surprise that flashed across his features - not the surprise of an officer being asked for his opinion, but the surprise of someone whose cover might be blown. "Sir, the tribals are restless, but nothing we can't handle with proper deployment. Perhaps a show of strength along the border would discourage any mischief."
"Interesting perspective," Arjun replied, his tone deceptively casual. His mind was racing now, analyzing every aspect of Khan's presence. The man shouldn't exist in the Indian Army at all - which meant this was an infiltration operation of unprecedented sophistication. "Tell me, what do you know about the current disposition of Pakistani forces in the region?"
The question hung in the air like a blade. Khan's hesitation lasted only a fraction of a second, but it was enough. Arjun's enhanced memory watched every detail – the slight tightening around the eyes, the barely perceptible shift in posture, the way Khan's fingers drummed once against his thigh.
"Sir, our intelligence on Pakistani deployment is limited, but…"
"Limited?" Arjun interrupted, standing and moving to the large map on the wall. "General, I find it curious that a man of your capabilities would have such limited knowledge about an enemy force positioned less than a hundred kilometers from positions you're responsible for defending."
Patel frowned, sensing the undercurrent of tension but not understanding its source. "Prime Minister, is there something specific…"
"There is indeed something specific, Sardar sahib." Arjun turned back to face Khan directly. "General, I'm going to ask you a direct question, and I want a direct answer. Have you had any contact, official or unofficial, with Pakistani military personnel in the past month?"
The silence stretched taut. Khan's face had gone pale, and Arjun could see the man's mind racing, calculating possibilities and outcomes. Finally, Khan straightened to attention.
"Sir, I... there have been communications regarding prisoner exchanges and border demarcation…"
"Communications that went through proper channels and were reported to your superiors?"
Another hesitation, and now Arjun was certain. The micro-expressions, the careful word choices, the way Khan's eyes darted almost imperceptibly toward the exit - this wasn't a potential defector, this was an active enemy agent. "Not all of them, sir. Some were informal, soldier to soldier, "
"Enough." Arjun's voice cut through the air like a blade, cold and final. "Sardar Patel, please arrange for 'General Khan' to be taken to the old British interrogation facility in Red Fort. I want him secured in the basement cells."
"Sir!" Khan protested, stepping forward. "This is outrageous! I've served this nation faithfully"
"You've served your own interests faithfully, you…are not Major General Akbar Khan," Arjun replied, his voice carrying a chilling calm that made even Patel uncomfortable. "Did you really think I wouldn't discover the truth? That Major General Akbar Khan, who should by all rights be serving in the Pakistani Army, somehow ended up with an Indian commission? That this entire operation wasn't designed to place you exactly where you could do maximum damage to our Kashmir defenses?"
Khan's face went ashen, his carefully maintained cover crumbling. "How could you possibly…"
"Know that you're a Pakistani agent? That your entire identity as an Indian officer is fabricated?" Arjun moved closer, and Khan instinctively stepped back at the cold fury in the Prime Minister's eyes. "I make it my business to know when the impossible becomes reality. And you, General, are an impossibility - which makes you a threat that needs to be eliminated."
He gestured to the guards waiting outside. "Take him to the facility. Use whatever methods are necessary to extract every detail of his communications with Pakistan. Every plan, every timeline, every piece of intelligence he's shared or promised to share. I don't care if you have to break every bone in his body to get it."
Khan's eyes widened in horror. "You can't be serious! This is barbaric…"
"Barbaric?" Arjun's laugh was devoid of warmth. "Listen here, you seek to destroy my nation, bleed my people, and doing all of this unprovoked, that…is what barbarism looks like. What I'm doing is simply effective. And if you cooperate fully, you might even survive the experience. Your family, of course, will be watched carefully to ensure they harbor no similar treasonous inclinations."
Patel watched this exchange with a mixture of shock and growing understanding. This was not the idealistic Congress leadership he was accustomed to. "Prime Minister, such methods…"
"Are necessary, Sardar sahib. The British ruled us for two centuries because they understood that power without the willingness to use brutal force is merely a suggestion." Arjun's eyes never left Khan's terrified face. "I won't make their mistake of showing mercy to traitors."
As the guards dragged Khan away, his protests echoing down the corridor, Arjun turned back to Patel with the same calm demeanor he might use to discuss the weather. "Now, let's discuss what we're really facing. Pakistan isn't just planning to support tribal raids on Kashmir. They're planning a full-scale invasion using tribal militias as cover, with regular Pakistani forces providing logistical and tactical support."
"But how can you be so certain?"
"Because," Arjun said, opening the file to reveal detailed maps and troop movements, "I've been preparing for this eventuality since the day I took office. We have three weeks, maybe four, before they move. And when they do, we're going to be ready with a response that will end Pakistan's territorial ambitions permanently."
Patel leaned forward, studying the documents. "These are remarkably detailed intelligence reports. Where did this information come from?"
"Sources that prefer to remain anonymous," Arjun replied smoothly. "What matters is that it's accurate. Now, here's what we're going to do. First, we're going to use Khan's contacts to feed false information to Pakistan about our defensive positions. Second, we're going to quietly begin moving our forces into position for a counter-offensive that will take them completely by surprise."
He stood and moved to the large map again, pointing to specific locations. "When Pakistan attacks Kashmir, we're not going to just defend. We're going to launch simultaneous offensives here, in East Bengal, and here, in Balochistan. By the time the dust settles, Pakistan will be reduced to a landlocked rump state, and we'll control the entire coastline from Karachi to Chittagong. And anyone who stands in our way, Pakistani, Indian, or otherwise, will learn that I don't believe in half-measures."
"Prime Minister," Patel said slowly, still processing the casual brutality he had just witnessed, "such an operation would require enormous resources and perfect coordination. The risk, "
"The risk of not acting decisively is far greater," Arjun interrupted. "Sardar sahib, weakness invites aggression. Mercy encourages betrayal. I intend to send a message that will echo across generations: India under my leadership does not forgive its enemies, and it does not forget those who betray her."
He continued, his voice taking on an almost contemplative tone. "I need you to begin immediate consultations with our military leadership, but choose carefully. We need commanders who understand that war is not a gentleman's game. Officers who won't hesitate to do what's necessary for victory, regardless of international opinion or enemy pleas for mercy. I also want you to reach out quietly to certain Congress members who share our vision for a strong, unified India."
"Which members specifically?"
Arjun's smile was cold as winter steel. "Start with General Cariappa and Subhas Bose's former associates. Men like Captain Lakshmi Sahgal, Shah Nawaz Khan, and others who understand that sometimes democracy requires leaders willing to get blood on their hands. We'll need people who won't flinch when the necessary executions begin, who won't lose sleep over the screams from interrogation rooms."
As Patel nodded and prepared to leave, Arjun called him back. "One more thing. I want you to arrange a meeting with Lord Mountbatten. It's time we discussed India's rightful place on the United Nations Security Council."
"The UN Security Council? But Prime Minister, the permanent members have already been established, "
"Have they?" Arjun's smile widened. "Sardar sahib, when we've liberated East Bengal and Balochistan, when we've proven that India is a military power capable of decisive action, do you think the world will be able to ignore our claim to permanent membership? Especially when we have nearly half a billion people and control over the Indian Ocean's most strategic waterways?"
After Patel left, taking the still-protesting Khan with him, Arjun returned to his desk. The first piece of his grand strategy was now in motion. Khan's infiltration, which could have costed India dearly, would now become an asset. The false intelligence he would unknowingly provide to Pakistan would ensure their invasion plans played directly into India's hands.
But this was just the beginning. In the coming months, he would need to carefully identify and cultivate allies within both the Congress party and the emerging opposition groups. The Hindu Mahasabha, along with other like-minded independent leaders, would need to be reformed and strengthened. Key figures like Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Veer Savarkar would need to be brought into his confidence, their nationalist fervor channeled into a coherent political force.