March 1, 1988
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Raj sat in his office, a rare smile on his face. The election results for Meghalaya and Tripura had just been declared, and Bharatiya Pragati (BP) had delivered a strong performance—far from a majority, but a breakthrough that marked the party's arrival on the national stage.
**Meghalaya Legislative Assembly (60 seats)**
- Indian National Congress (INC): 18 seats
- Hill People's Union (HPU): 15 seats
- **Bharatiya Pragati (BP): 12 seats**
- Other regional parties: 8 seats
- Independents: 7 seats
BP emerged as the kingmaker in the hung assembly. After negotiations, the party joined a coalition with HPU and smaller regional groups. The Chief Minister came from HPU, but BP secured the crucial Home Ministry portfolio along with several other key departments.
**Tripura Legislative Assembly (60 seats)**
- Left Front (CPI(M) + allies): 26 seats
- Indian National Congress (INC): 20 seats
- Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti (TUJS): 6 seats
- **Bharatiya Pragati (BP): 8 seats**
Both major blocs—the Left Front and the INC-TUJS alliance—ended with exactly 26 seats each. BP's 8 seats held the decisive balance. After careful deliberation, Raj instructed party leaders to align with INC-TUJS against the Left. The coalition crossed the majority mark of 31, forming the government. In return, BP secured three major ministries, giving the party real administrative power in the state.
The victories sent a clear message: BP was no longer a fringe player.
Yet Raj's satisfaction was tempered. Kashmir remained restless. Using the System, he had spent the past two days confirming details of a massive militant ambush planned for early March—a coordinated strike on a Hindu pilgrimage convoy and an army outpost in Anantnag. Over a hundred lives hung in the balance.
He summoned Arjun Das immediately.
"Boss?" Das entered, ready.
Raj slid a sealed file across the desk. "Major assault incoming—dates, routes, commanders. Send 100 more ASUR operatives. First, cut their supply lines: sabotage the border crossings silently. Then eliminate the leaders. No survivors, no traces. Stage it as betrayals or accidents."
Das nodded. "We have 300 in the valley already, all JS-1 enhanced. The new batch is combat-ready. We'll operate from our existing fronts."
Over the following weeks, ASUR struck like ghosts in the night. Midnight raids destroyed mule caravans carrying arms from Pakistan—explosions blamed on faulty munitions in remote ravines. Key commanders vanished: poisoned tea, staged falls in gorges. Pre-elimination interrogations uncovered radio codes and informant networks. Fifteen village cells were dismantled, 80 militants removed without a single public gunshot.
Raj anonymously fed partial intelligence to the army, prompting intensified patrols. On the day of the planned ambush, militants arrived to find weapons missing and routes blocked by "natural landslides." The attack collapsed into a minor skirmish—two militants dead, no Indian casualties.
Major Sudhir Singh reported proudly: "Our vigilance has paid off. The enemy is in complete disarray."
Across the border, panic gripped the handlers. Desperate orders demanded market bombings in Srinagar. ASUR preempted all three, burying the evidence in unmarked snow.
Back in Mumbai, Das briefed Raj. "Zero losses on our side, boss. Civilian attacks rose 30% in retaliation, but we've saved hundreds."
Raj leaned forward. "Excellent. But this is only the beginning. Recruit 500 more ASUR in the coming months. We're expanding the force—permanently."
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