Chimera

“Very well, Mr. Prime-Minister. You know the reason for this call. I think this war has gone on far too long and taken the lives of far too many of the young men and women on both sides. Following your nuclear strikes against an airfield known to me like the back of my hand all these years, I would say you are extremely lucky that I had commanders here who could see past my rage. Else I might very well have wiped your nation from the face of this planet!”

“General,” the PM replied, reading from the notes that Ravoof and Chakri had prepared, “I think we have demonstrated time and again our capability for sharp precision strikes against the Chinese leadership, notwithstanding your state media broadcasts. I am sure you have the capability to launch devastating nuclear strikes against our nation, but if that had been your only concern, I think we would not have been here talking right now. You know very well that we will launch and take out all your major cities as well. Millions would have died on both sides. And all for nothing!”

“I agree, Mr. Prime-Minister.” Wencang said neutrally. “As much as I would like to see your country brought to its knees on the battlefield for what it has done to mine, I would not like to end the lives of millions of Chinese civilians in doing so. That said, I think it is prudent to set the ground rules for this conversation. I will go first,” Wencang stated.

“Very well General, go ahead.” The PM replied.

“Firstly, I want to make sure that you understand that I am a professional air-force officer. I do not condone the murder of civilians through the use of nuclear weapons or otherwise although I wouldn’t hesitate in the slightest if I had to do it for my nation. Secondly, I am going to go as far as to admit that India has fought us to a draw in multiple sectors. Thirdly, your nation is waging all-out war on mine by attacking our merchant shipping lines, splintering Tibet and launching decapitating strikes against this country’s leadership. And as such, if this continues, I am left with no recourse but to use nuclear weapons even more liberally than this morning. That is where we have come,” Wencang said and leaned back in his chair.

“General,” the PM stated, “I accept your points but I want to remind you that your country has already tried doing all of what you stated and more! Simply because we were more effective in doing what you tried and failed does not eliminate the perpetrators and their guilt. Secondly, we are at the point now where your nation has already used nuclear weapons against a third party, Bhutan, after invading it without provocation! We did not wage war through Bhutan as your media has been claiming for the last two weeks. But we did respond to your country’s blatant aggressions there. And when defeated, you resorted to the vile use of nuclear weapons. There will be reparations for that, General. I assure you.”

“You used Tibet to try and bleed us! We did the same to Bhutan! I see no difference whatsoever between the two!” Wencang replied sharply.

“And I disagree. So what is the purpose of this conversation, General?” the PM asked calmly. Wencang now leaned forward.

“To end this war while our nations are still left standing, Mr. Prime-Minister. I propose that both sides declare a ceasefire at midnight tonight and withdraw immediately to their pre-war locations. That both sides issue statements to that effect and initiate multiple level government contacts to ensure that there are no misunderstandings.”

“We want more than that, I am afraid,” the PM stated.

Wencang sighed. Of course you do!

“Very well, Mr. Prime-Minister. I am listening.”

EAST OF DAULAT-BEG-OLDI

LADAKH

DAY 15 + 2330 HRS

“Fire!” Kulkarni ordered.

The Arjun tank shuddered and the smoke escaped into the turret as the expended shell casing dropped back from the main gun. The smell of cordite was thick in the cramped surroundings. He continued to peer though the sights while the gunner began loading up the next round from the ready-to-use storage.

Further north, a small fireball erupted and metal pieces flew up in the air followed by flames, visible on his night-vision optics as licks of white on a green background. Kulkarni felt the tank rumble as the driver turned it left to maneuver. But the turret remained stabilized on the target lazed by the gunner.

“Sabot up!” his loader shouted over the comms traffic chatter.

“Rhino-One, this is Rhino-Command,” the radio squawked in his headset. Kulkarni identified the voice of his 43RD Regiment Commander calling from headquarters collocated near Colonel Sudarshan’s. Kulkarni pressed the headset closer over his ears as the message came in: “We are seeing enemy armor opposite your lines in retreat to the northeast! Can you confirm? Over.”

He poked through the optics again. He saw three remaining Chinese T-99s turning their hulls to the northeast as they retreated, deploying aerosol clouds from their turret canisters…