A New India

Later that afternoon Rohan received a report from Rao. One of the officials they had been interrogating has finally given something more concrete.

The man was scared, and it was beginning to show. He had been holding out, but the pressure was getting to him.

This could be the breakthrough they needed, Rohan thought, but he also knew how easily things could fall apart.

Rohan decided he needed to see this for himself. He needed to watch the interrogation to be sure they were on the right track.

The drive to the secure facility where Rao and Atma were conducting the interviews felt longer than usual.

When Rohan arrived at the facility, Rao was waiting for him in the corridor, looking serious. "Prime Minister, we're getting close. This guy is scared. He knows we're onto something, but he's trying to protect himself."

Rohan nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope amidst all the uncertainty. "Let's see what he has to say."

They walked into the observation room, where they could watch the interrogation through a one-way mirror.

The room beyond was stark and sterile, with harsh fluorescent lights casting a cold glow over everything.

The official they were questioning a man in his late forties sat at a metal table, his hands fidgeting nervously.

Across from him, Atma sat calmly, his voice steady and low.

"You need to start talking," Atma was saying as Rohan and Rao watched. "We know more than you think. If you cooperate, we can help you. But if you keep holding back, it's going to be much worse for you."

The official swallowed hard. "I don't know anything," he stammered, though the fear in his voice suggested otherwise.

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Atma leaned forward slightly, his tone never changing. "That's not true. We know you were involved. We've already got enough to bring you down. But if you help us, we can make things easier for you."

The man hesitated, his eyes darting around the room as if looking for a way out, but there was none.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Start with the safe house," Atma said. "We know there's a place outside the city where you used to meet. Tell us about it."

The official's hands trembled as they gripped the edge of the table. "It was just a place to talk," he said, but his voice lacked conviction. "Nothing important happened there."

Atma didn't back down. "That's not what we've heard. We know it was used for more than just talking. What was it really for?"

The official's eyes darted to the mirror, as if he could sense Rohan and Rao watching him. "It was a place where some of the higher-ups met. I didn't go there often, just a few times."

Rohan leaned closer to the glass, his attention fixed on every word.

"What did they talk about?" Atma pressed.

"I don't know everything," the man stammered, wiping sweat from his brow. "But they discussed plans plans for what to do if things went wrong."

"What kind of plans?" Atma asked, his voice patient but firm.

"Contingencies," the official said, his voice shaky. "Ways to escape, to hide, if the coup failed. They didn't trust everyone, so only a few people knew the full details."

Rao glanced at Rohan, who gave a small nod. This was the break they needed.

"Who were the people involved?" Atma asked, his tone even, careful.

"I don't know all the names," the man said quickly, almost too quickly. "But there was someone… they called him the 'Shadow.' He was the one in charge of the backup plans. I never saw him, but everyone was scared of him."

"The Shadow?" Atma repeated, leaning back slightly. "Do you have any idea who he is?"

The official shook his head. "No. He stayed hidden. But everyone knew he was dangerous. If you crossed him, you were done."

Rohan exchanged a look with Rao. This was the first time they had heard about someone called the Shadow.

It could be the lead they had been waiting for, or it could be another trick, another layer of the deception they were trying to untangle.

"Where is this safe house?" Atma asked, bringing the focus back.

"It's in the hills, about 50 kilometers outside the city. A secluded place, hard to find unless you know where to look," the official said, his voice quiet.

Atma leaned back, satisfied with the information. "Thank you. You've been helpful. We'll take it from here."

As the official was led away, Rohan turned to Rao. "Now, forget about my earlier order, I need you to raid it now."

Rao nodded, his expression serious. "We'll be ready within the hour."

Rohan left the facility feeling a mix of urgency and anxiety. They were finally getting somewhere, but the mention of this 'Shadow' figure added a new layer of uncertainty.

Who was this person, and how deep did their influence run? More importantly, were they the real mastermind behind everything, using people like Amar Singh as pawns?

If the Shadow was truly behind the scenes, it meant they were dealing with someone who was careful, someone who knew how to stay hidden and pull the strings from afar.

When Rohan reached his office, he immediately called Neeraj. "Change in Plans, Raid will happen within an hour," he said, his voice direct. "There's a safe house in the hills, about 50 kilometers out. Rao's team is getting ready. Make sure everything is in place on our end."

Neeraj didn't hesitate. "I'll handle it, sir. We'll move quickly."

Rohan sat back in his chair after the call ended, his mind racing. They were finally closing in on something real, but the risk of failure was high.

If they were wrong about the safe house, or if the Shadow knew they were coming, it could all fall apart.

The hours dragged by as they waited for the operation to begin. Rohan kept busy, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the Shadow.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the phone on Rohan's desk rang. It was Rao.

"Prime Minister, we're inside the safe house. It's empty, but we've found documents lots of them. Some of it is encrypted, but there are notes, maps, and what looks like a list of names."

Rohan's heart quickened. "Are there any signs that someone's been there recently?"

Rao hesitated. "It's hard to say. The place looks like it's been used regularly, but it's been cleaned out. Whoever was here knew we were coming."

Rohan clenched the phone tightly. "They were tipped off," he muttered. "But at least we have something. Get those documents analyzed immediately. I want to know everything."

"We're on it, sir," Rao replied. "But there's something else. We found traces of blood in one of the rooms. It's old, but it looks like someone might have been injured or worse."

Rohan's grip on the phone tightened. "Anything else?"

"One of the documents mentions the Shadow by name," Rao continued. "It's not clear what it's about, but it's definitely connected to the coup. We'll need time to go through everything."

"Do it fast," Rohan ordered. "I want answers as soon as possible."

As he hung up the phone, Rohan leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. The Shadow whoever they were seemed to be at the center of this whole mess.

But why hadn't they heard about this person before? And how were they connected to Amar Singh?

The more Rohan thought about it, the more he realized that they were dealing with something far more complex than he had imagined.

The conspiracy wasn't just about the coup; it was about power, control, and manipulation on a level they hadn't fully grasped.

The Shadow was no longer just a figure in the dark. They were real, and they were out there, waiting.