Oct 12–Oct 25, 2016
"Bridging the Forgotten Seven"
---
Scene One – Celebration at the TBM Site
Inside a makeshift camp in Ladakh, floodlights illuminated the night as engineers, soldiers, and villagers gathered around a bonfire. The first long tunnel, carved in record time, had been declared open that morning.
Songs in Ladakhi and Hindi mingled with the crackling fire. Young men danced, and children carried sweets from tent to tent.
The MC stood far from the firelight, wearing a simple woolen shawl, blending into the crowd. Only a few trusted workers knew who he was. For everyone else, he was just another curious local who had come to see the wonder.
One of his site engineers spotted him and whispered discreetly:
> Engineer: "Sir… they are celebrating as if it were Diwali."
MC (smiling faintly): "Let them. This isn't our achievement alone. This belongs to them."
---
Scene Two – Government High Table, New Delhi
In Delhi, a special closed-door session convened in the Prime Minister's office. Ministers, army generals, and top bureaucrats leaned over a large map of India spread across the conference table.
Bright red pins marked completed Ladakh tunnels. Blue lines stretched from Assam toward Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Mizoram — the Seven Sisters, long neglected in infrastructure dreams.
> Prime Minister (firmly): "For seventy years, the North-East has been treated like a far-off land. Roads blocked in monsoon, bridges collapsing, entire valleys cut off. This must end. Bharat InfraWorks has proven itself. I want a master contract to connect the Seven Sisters through a network of all-weather tunnels."
There was murmuring around the table.
> Defense General: "It will change logistics entirely. Troops could be moved in days instead of months."
Finance Secretary: "But the cost—?"
PM (cutting in): "The cost of neglect is higher. Draft the papers. Sign it."
The decision was made. For the first time, the North-East was at the heart of India's infrastructure map.
---
Scene Three – The Contract Signing
On Oct 20, 2016, the Ministry of Transport and Bharat InfraWorks signed the largest infrastructure contract in independent India's history.
The official press release spoke cautiously:
"Bharat InfraWorks to deliver strategic tunnels and highways in North-East India over the next decade."
Behind closed doors, however, the numbers were staggering:
12,000 km of new highways
4,500 km of tunnels
Bridges designed to withstand earthquakes and floods
In the public ceremony, Arjun Rao — the MC's handpicked, AI-guided "front CEO" — stood at the podium, smiling as flashbulbs exploded.
But in the shadows, the real architect watched silently, his name never spoken.
---
Scene Four – Side POV: A Young Teacher in Manipur
In a remote village in Manipur, a young schoolteacher unfolded a newspaper, reading aloud to his students:
> Teacher: "Children, listen. The government will build tunnels and roads connecting all the Seven Sisters."
The children clapped, though they barely understood the magnitude. For them, it simply meant their parents could travel in hours instead of days, and medicines might arrive before illness turned fatal.
One girl whispered softly:
> Girl: "Sir… does this mean we can visit Guwahati even when it rains?"
Teacher (smiling): "Yes, my child. It means the world will finally reach us."
---
Scene Five – The MC's Reflection
Back at his estate, the MC sat on his balcony, the autumn wind rustling the trees.
Aarya appeared on the holographic display beside him.
> Aarya: "The contract is signed. Phase one begins in Meghalaya and Assam. The TBMs will be deployed in staggered silence. Shall I increase production speed?"
MC: "No. Not yet. We must keep the pace human. If we show too much, too fast, the world will notice."
He leaned back, gazing at the stars.
The Himalayas were opening. The North-East would soon be stitched to the mainland.
One day, he thought, Akhand Bharat would not just be a dream of maps, but a living, breathing reality of roads, tunnels, and people meeting without barriers.
For now, he allowed himself a rare smile.
---