April 20, 1988
Guys i have changed Militant word onto Terrorist word in this chapter. Becuase Militant and Terrorist are different. Media use Militant word not terrorist to reduce impact of a incident. I am also got victim of there agenda now i will use Terrorist. If you found any mistake like this in story then tell me.
The vast 500-acre expanse in rural Maharashtra, once barren and windswept, now pulsed with life and devotion. Thousands of pilgrims, villagers, sadhus, and curious travelers had converged under enormous saffron-and-white shamianas that stretched like a sea of color against the clear blue sky. The air carried the fragrance of incense, marigold garlands, and fresh earth. Chants of "Har Har Mahadev" and "Om Namah Shivaya" rose in waves, accompanied by the rhythmic beat of dholaks and the ringing of temple bells brought specially for the occasion.
This was the bhoomi poojan and groundbreaking ceremony of the Grand Shiv Temple complex—the most ambitious Shiva shrine ever conceived in modern India. TBF newspaper crews worked tirelessly, broadcasting live reports across Maharashtra and Gujarat, their headlines already proclaiming it a "Symbol of Sanatan Revival and National Prosperity." Giant banners bearing the ancient Swastika emblem fluttered proudly, reminding everyone of divine blessings and good fortune.
Raj observed everything from a discreetly positioned shaded pavilion at the edge of the site, flanked only by Suraj and a handful of trusted ASUR personnel in plain clothes. He had deliberately avoided the spotlight, allowing Vishal Singh, CEO of Mehra Construction, and a renowned pandit from Kashi to conduct the main rituals. Yet the project bore his unmistakable vision: a towering central vimana, vast pillared mandapas, serene reflecting pools, and subsidiary shrines that would one day rival the greatest temples of ancient India.
The ceremony began at the auspicious muhurta. The pandit, dressed in saffron robes, performed elaborate Ganesh and Navagraha homams while Vedic scholars chanted from the Rig Veda and Shiva Tandava Stotra. Vishal Singh, representing the builder, stepped forward with a gold-plated spade and broke the earth at the exact spot marked for the garbhagriha. Cheers erupted as the first foundation stone—a massive granite block intricately carved with Nataraja and Trishul motifs—was lowered into place by crane, blessed with milk, curd, and holy Ganga jal.
Local BP leaders, including ministers who had risen through the recent Meghalaya and Tripura coalitions, delivered carefully crafted speeches. They spoke of protecting Hindu heritage, fostering unity, and channeling national energy toward cultural rebirth—messages that resonated deeply with the rural crowd and subtly strengthened the party's image ahead of the crucial 1989 Lok Sabha elections.
As the sun reached its zenith, prasad was distributed to all present, and voluntary donations poured in—over ₹35 crore collected on the spot alone, far exceeding expectations.
That same evening, back in his Mumbai office, Raj met Arjun Das for a classified briefing.
The Kashmir valley had grown astonishingly calm. ASUR's silent, relentless campaign—now involving over 1,000 JS-1-enhanced operatives—had dismantled virtually every remaining terrorist network. High-value commanders had vanished without trace, cross-border supply routes lay severed, arms caches destroyed, and local overground workers neutralized. Terror incidents had fallen nearly 80% since the beginning of the year. Pakistani ISI handlers, stunned by the collapse of their multi-year investments, had begun withdrawing funding from several proxy groups, leaving surviving terrorists demoralized and scattered.
The Indian Army and intelligence agencies happily claimed public credit for the "remarkable restoration of peace," with officers like Major Sudhir Singh receiving gallantry citations. Newspapers across the country celebrated the turnaround. Most importantly, Kashmiri Pandit families—who in the original timeline would soon have faced exodus—now felt secure enough to remain in their ancestral homes, rebuilding community life with cautious hope.
But the System delivered a sobering new alert.
Frustrated by the Kashmir setback, ISI strategists were redirecting resources: attempting to reignite Khalistani terrorism in Punjab through fresh infiltration and arms smuggling, while simultaneously gathering intelligence on high-profile Indian figures whose influence threatened their broader agenda. One name had surfaced repeatedly in intercepted chatter—Raj himself, flagged for his rapidly expanding media empire (TBF), financial power (Luxmi Bank), Factory's and quiet political maneuvering (BP's rising strength).
Raj's expression remained calm but resolute. "They're shifting the battlefield. Deploy 400 ASUR operatives to Punjab immediately—establish covert bases in Amritsar, Jalandhar, and border districts before the new cells take root. Triple security protocols around all our residences, offices, factories, and the temple site. No one gets close."
Das saluted crisply. "Already in motion, boss. Punjab networks will be crushed before they can reorganize. And your personal detail is now layered—outer ring visible, inner ring invisible. Also we have deployed 30 ASUR operatives around Mehra Building and your House. 10 ASUR will follow you everywhere."
Raj closed the intelligence folder. The foundation of a grand temple had been laid under divine chants; the shadow of terrorism in Kashmir had been pushed back further than he had dared hope. Yet new storms gathered on the horizon. But with every move anticipated, every resource aligned, Raj knew the altered future he was forging would endure.
Then Raj started to work on files of different industry all the industry's are working normally.
Guys, this is my UPI ID: jatin288sharma-1@okicici
If you send me ₹10 through this, I'll upload one more chapter.
Show your support—if the response is good, I'll keep posting more chapters.
Maximum two chapters per day.