Sept 21–Oct 10, 2016
"The Roads Beneath the Mountains"
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Scene One – Reports in the Control Room
In the underground control chamber beneath his estate, holographic maps glowed across the curved walls. Blue lines traced through the Himalayas, stretching like veins under rock.
The MC sat alone, a notebook in his hand, cross-checking numbers.
Planned target: 120 km of tunnels completed by October.
Actual: 370 km already cut through mountains.
Aarya's voice resonated softly through the chamber.
> Aarya: "The TBMs are performing at 312% above government benchmarks. Local officers are recording their disbelief in daily logs. Shall I prepare a reduction in the reported figures?"
MC: "Yes. Keep it modest. 125 km. No one must suspect the real capability."
He closed his notebook. The world would see progress — but only what he allowed them to see.
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Scene Two – Ladakh Villages
High above the Indus River valley, in a small Ladakhi village, the first vehicles rumbled through a tunnel that had once been a dream on dusty maps.
Children chased the jeeps, laughing, their voices echoing against freshly carved stone. Women stood at the entrance, prayer beads in their hands, murmuring blessings.
For decades, winter had cut them off — snow choking the passes, silence filling the valleys. Now, for the first time, they saw a road open year-round.
An old man touched the tunnel wall with trembling fingers.
> Old Man (whispering): "It is like the mountains themselves have opened their arms."
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Scene Three – A Side POV: Young Soldier
A young army jawan, stationed near Drass, wrote a hurried letter to his family:
"Amma, you won't believe it. The road to our post is now open even when snow is falling. We no longer march for days with mules. Trucks reach us in hours. We feel… connected. Whoever built this, may God bless him."
The letter, folded and sealed, carried gratitude far beyond statistics.
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Scene Four – Government Meeting
In Delhi, a tense meeting convened inside a cabinet office. Stacks of reports lay on the polished table.
> Minister of Transport: "How is this possible? Bharat InfraWorks claims to have finished nearly double the expected tunnels in Ladakh alone."
Skeptical Bureaucrat: "It must be exaggeration. Or corruption. Machines don't work this fast in stone."
BRO Officer (standing firm): "I saw it with my own eyes. The TBM moves like fire through butter. I don't know how… but it works."
Silence followed. At last, one senior adviser murmured:
> Adviser: "If this continues, India could connect the North-East and the Himalayas in five years, not fifty."
No one said the word, but it hung in the room like a ghost: strategic advantage.
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Scene Five – Quiet Pride
Back at his estate, the MC walked with his father in the orchard. Apple blossoms swayed in the autumn wind, their scent faint in the cool evening.
His father spoke quietly, leaning on his cane.
> Father: "I saw the news today. The people of Ladakh… they celebrated as if it were a festival. Roads don't just carry trucks, beta. They carry hope."
The MC listened, heart heavy with unspoken truths.
If only his father knew the scale of what lay hidden — the machines, the dimensions, the technology from worlds far beyond this one. Yet his father's words reminded him why he had begun this journey: not wealth, not recognition, but dignity for people long forgotten.
He smiled faintly, replying:
> MC: "Then perhaps, one road at a time, we'll stitch this country together."
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Scene Six – Side POV: Chinese Intelligence Officer
In a dim Beijing office, a young intelligence officer placed a report on his superior's desk.
> Officer: "India's Bharat InfraWorks has delivered three times the planned tunnel length. If this pace continues, their border logistics will transform."
Superior (frowning): "Find out how. Either they are lying, or they have technology we don't. Neither option is acceptable."
The order was clear. Surveillance on India would tighten. The storm clouds of foreign interest were gathering.
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Scene Seven – The Celebration in Ladakh
As dusk fell in Ladakh, villagers lit butter lamps outside their homes. The new tunnel glowed faintly under electric lights for the first time.
A woman held her daughter's hand, pointing.
> Mother: "Look, child. This is the road that will carry your future."
The girl's eyes widened, reflecting the lights. She couldn't yet know how much this moment meant — only that the mountains no longer felt like prison walls.
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Closing Scene – The Balcony
That night, the MC stood on his balcony, overlooking his estate. The forest whispered in the wind.
He knew this was only the beginning. The TBMs had proven themselves. India's mountains were opening. Soon, the plains, rivers, and cities would follow.
But as he watched the moon rise, he also knew: every tunnel he carved through stone also carved a new line of suspicion in the eyes of the world.
And he was ready.