Delhi, Prime Minister's Office, South Block
Early February 1949
The knock on Arjun's door came sharp and urgent, cutting through the midnight quiet of South Block. He looked up from the technical blueprints spread across his desk, Layer 2 of the Ashoka Group's classified industrial plans. Director Sharma never appeared this late unless something extraordinary had occurred.
Sharma stepped in, his normally stone-faced expression barely containing what looked like disbelief mixed with excitement. In his hand was a red-marked cable, the highest priority classification, straight from Major Chen Liang in China.
"Prime Minister," Sharma said, voice tight with controlled energy, "urgent news from Nanking. Something significant." Arjun's attention snapped from the blueprints to his intelligence chief.
For months, he had been feeding the struggling Chinese Nationalists precise intelligence and battle strategies. It was a calculated move to keep their civil war grinding on, bleeding Communist resources and slowing Mao's advance without changing the overall outcome.
But Sharma's expression suggested something far more substantial.
"What happened?" Arjun asked.
Sharma unfolded the cable, his finger tracing the urgent lines. "The Nationalists just delivered a devastating blow. All those smaller operations we have been guiding, from sabotage to supply route disruptions, they have finally built up to something massive."
He paused, professional awe creeping into his voice. "Near the strategic Yangtze crossing in Hubei province, using our intelligence, the KMT executed a perfectly timed trap. They destroyed the main bridge just as a Communist division was crossing, then surrounded and eliminated many of the soldiers as they retreated back.
We're talking about hundreds of casualties, Prime Minister, and the complete destruction of their heavy equipment."
Arjun felt his pulse quicken. This was not merely a minor tactical victory.
"Simultaneously," Sharma continued, "they hit major Communist weapon depots across Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. Not just raids, Prime Minister, these were primary supply hubs. The explosions triggered secondary detonations that burned for hours. The Communists have lost months of stockpiled ammunition and equipment."
Arjun leaned forward, his mind racing through the implications. This was a strategic earthquake.
"The result, Prime Minister, is unprecedented," Sharma said firmly. "For the first time since Mao began his advances, his forces have stopped completely. More than that, they are retreating. Pulling back from forward positions and abandoning recently captured territory.
Our analysts believe they have finally realized how exposed their supply lines have become after months of our guided disruptions."
Arjun sat back, genuine surprise washing over him. He had not expected this. His knowledge of the future had been based on the Nationalists' historical incompetence, but guided by his intelligence, they had become genuinely dangerous.
"Remarkable," he murmured, allowing himself a slight smile. "Perhaps the Mandate of Heaven remains undecided."
"Chen Liang believes this is a genuine turning point," Sharma pressed on. "He is calling it a direct result of India's guidance. He wants immediate consultations, more strategy sessions, intelligence sharing, propaganda coordination."
Arjun's eyes sharpened with new purpose. "Tell Chen Liang this: strike immediately. This retreat creates a golden window. They must go straight to the Americans, demand more weapons, military aid, and logistical support.
They need to use American supplies to retake abandoned territories. This is their chance to prove to Washington they are worth serious investment."
"Understood, Prime Minister."
As Sharma left, Arjun studied the map of China on his desk. The civil war's battle lines suddenly looked less like an inevitable tide and more like something he could actively shape. He had given them guidance, and they had used it to land a real blow.
Now he was pushing them toward America, drawing the US deeper into the Chinese quagmire while India remained outside of the conflict.
"Indeed, playing puppeteer from the shadows has its advantages," Arjun smiled with satisfaction.
Washington D.C., The Pentagon. Early February 1949.
The news hit Washington like a bombshell.
Chinese Nationalists had somehow managed to hold their ground in recent months, thanks to some of their minor victories that many US analysts thought to be a strategic fluke.
But even with all this, almost everyone knew that these won't stop Communists for long, and that they will take over, sooner or later. And now, out of no where, they had suddenly scored a victory that defied all expectations.
The messages from Nanking detailed the heavy damage to a Communist division and the destruction of key supply hubs. Chiang Kai-shek's appeal for immediate American aid arrived within hours, emboldened by this stunning success.
In the Pentagon, generals stared at detailed reports in growing unease. "They eliminated hundreds of Communists in a single blow," General Omar Bradley muttered, his voice heavy with suspicion.
"And somehow knew exactly where to hit the weapon depots. This level of precision... where did they acquire this intelligence?"
Secretary of State George Marshall called an emergency meeting, his expression grim. "Mr. President," he told Truman, "this victory raises serious questions. The Nationalists are clearly receiving sophisticated outside assistance. Our intelligence shows no western involvement. Someone else is pulling the strings here."
Truman's face darkened. "India. Has to be. Mehra's intelligence network proved devastatingly effective against Pakistan. Either that, or KMT managed to rope in a heavy weight within the communists. But if it's Mehra, then how the hell does he have sources deep enough in China to orchestrate something like this?"
Marshall's expression grew troubled. "That is what concerns me, sir. We have been funding the Nationalists for years and could not provide them this kind of precision.
Mehra has been in power barely eighteen months, yet somehow, he knows exactly where Communist divisions will be, where their supply depots are hidden. The scope of his intelligence capabilities is... disturbing."
Truman frowned. "Contact our British counterparts and request every piece of information they have on the Indian intelligence agency. What was it called again? Ah yes, the IB. See if we can get any leads on this matter.
Though I'm pretty sure IB under Brits didn't had any such network operatives in China."
Marshall nodded.
In the end, the American response was cautious and deeply suspicious. The Nationalist victories, while useful in the broader fight against Communism, raised alarming questions about India's hidden capabilities and long-term intentions.
That a newly independent nation could so quickly develop intelligence services that surpassed American efforts was both impressive and deeply concerning.
Washington would certainly consider Chiang Kai-shek's requests for increased aid and military support. The victories had proven that the Nationalists could be effective when properly guided.
But the priority now shifted to understanding how Mehra had built such an extensive intelligence network in so short a time, and what other international operations he might be conducting.
For the first time since India's independence, American policymakers began to seriously consider the possibility that Arjun Mehra's India might not be content to be merely a regional power.