Prime Minister's Office, Delhi.
''Hello, this is the Personal Assistant to the P.M. How may I help you? ''
The voice on the other side of the line spoke with an American accent.
''This is the Defence Secretary talking on behalf of the Director of the C.I.A. I need to speak to Mr. Prime Minister. It is a matter of extreme urgency.''
3 minutes later, the Prime Minister was speaking to the Defence Secretary of the United States.
''Good evening Mr. Prime Minister. I apologise for calling on such a short notice, but we have some immediate issues to discuss...''
''I understand that Mr. Secretary. What are the issues you want to discuss? I will be glad to help.''
In a corner of his brain, the Prime Minister of India already knew what was going to come. It must be that damn project again, he thought inwardly.
The Defence Secretary took a deep breath and asked a single question.
''What is India's nuclear status?''
Prime Minister was not at all surprised by this question. He had his answer ready- written down on a notepad in front of him in the most diplomatic tone.
''Mr. Secretary, we have not yet decided to go nuclear or not. This year we completed 50 years of our independence and we are still trying to focus on the development of agricultural and economic sectors rather than defence.''
After a brief pause, the American voice replied, ''That's fine. I was just asking because we picked up some signals of nuclear activity around your country on our satellites. Need to cross-check them now. Until then, have a pleasant evening.''
''My pleasure helping you Mr. Secretary.''
The prime minister put down his phone and heaved a sigh of relief.
Whenever that project has come up, these meddlers have always tried to poke their nose in between. Why can't they stand us being a nuclear power? Last time they forced us into shutting down Pokharan-1, but this time we won't bow down. If this project tastes success, we send a message to the rest of the world that Indians are capable of joining the elite class of the nuclear nations. The Prime Minister was determined to see the project as a success. He wired a message to the director of the Pokharan project.
'The C.I.A is already aware about the nuclear activity. Be careful and speed up the project.'
But the Director was neck deep in trouble already. There had been some strange activities going on around the project testing site. Many records, data and files were being misplaced- Some of them even lost without any trace. And then it happened!
On 21st November- All the prime data sheets went missing. The project was back to square one.
Chapter 39
The dome of the Sariputra's stupa was almost inaccessible. As high as a three storied building, the stupa had no path or passageway leading anywhere near the dome.
''This is quite strange. There are no carvings on the dome of the stupa while in reality it is the designs on their domes that make the stupa unique. A lot of Buddhist stupas have majestic carvings on the interior of their domes, but this one is different. Except for that eye at the centre, it is completely bare,'' Sameer said, noticing the unadorned dome.
''Maybe it was made so for a purpose. Maybe the monks or the artisans who built this stupa didn't want people following the trail, searching somewhere else. An eye to eye contact is the most basic form of communication. Even before you start speaking, you use an eye to eye contact communication. Even before you express your feelings with words, your eyes say it all. It is one of the oldest and the most natural instinct of the human nature. Maybe these artisans knew that someday, somebody will discover the clues and come searching for the path. Maybe they used this symbology to communicate, leaving the rest of the dome untouched- pure and away from the reach of any undeserving form of life,'' answered Shonali.
''Any idea how we are going up there?'' Raghav asked David.
''I think it is time to put the fire rescue drill to use,'' David commanded his team and the NSG soldiers.
The soldiers immediately formed a circle. Making a human tower, the commandos stacked up levels and soon the dome was not very far.
''What can you see over there? Any sort of writing or inscription?'' David asked Raghav, who was at the top of the human tower.
''No, Sir. Absolutely nothing,'' Raghav replied.
''Touch the eye. Feel the design. Maybe there is a hidden chamber or something.'' Shonali was not ready to give up.
It has to be there.
''No, Miss Chauhan. I can't see anything out of the usual here... Wait-'' Raghav had just noticed something.
''What happened? What do you see?'' Shonali's excited feet jumped in the air.
''From ground level, both the eyes- the one on the ground there and this one look alike, but I can spot a slight difference from this angle. The eye on the ground is plain, but this one is designed differently. The pupil of this eye is popping out a bit. It just looked odd, so...''
''Try pressing it inside.'' Shonali cut off Raghav in the middle.
''Press what? The pupil? It's made up of stone. I don't think it will work,'' saying so Raghav tried to push back the pupil inside and to his surprise- it moved. It took a lot of effort for Raghav and the movement was very slow- but it moved. Right up to the level of the dome.
A clicking sound followed by the starting of some kind of mechanism brought a small smile on Shonali's face. The eye was shutting; it was moving back and a hidden compartment steadily became visible. A very small one. None of the people on the ground could see it from below, but only Raghav could spot an object in that hidden compartment. The monument was centuries old and yet the object seemed to be intact.
''What do you see there?'' David shouted.
''I don't know. It is dangling in between some ropes. A kind of scroll... or a letter,'' said Raghav.
''You sure you can take it out safely? We need that thing intact,'' David replied. His voice couldn't mask the momentary excitement he was feeling.
The pressure on the commandos below Raghav was increasing every second. The soldiers at the bottom could take it no more. The balance was not holding and Raghav was shaking terribly. He knew it would only be a waste of time if they all fell down and had to come up again by climbing over one another.
Maybe this secret compartment would be open for a specific time. This might be my only chance.
His hand was just able to reach the opening of the compartment and the scroll rested about 15 centimetres above the compartment lying amidst the trap of ropes. There was barely enough space to put a hand through the web of the ropes.
In a second, Raghav cleared all the doubts from his brain and focused on the opening. Taking a boost from his legs, he jumped in mid air; squeezing his fist to pass through the web, he caught the lower end of the scroll and tucked it down.
Raghav tried to maintain his balance after the jump, but was unable to do so. Losing his balance, he fell flat on the soldiers beneath him and then the entire human tower came tumbling down. When he finally made it to the ground level with the scroll, Raghav handed it over to David. Fortunately, no one had broken any bones in the mishap.
Gasping in awe, Shonali suddenly noticed- It was not a scroll.
''It looks pretty much like a scroll. However, it is in fact a rolled up dhvaj or simply a flag or a banner. Notice that it is made of cloth and not paper. In Buddhism, dhvaj symbolizes victory of the Dharma over fear, ignorance, and death. It was supposedly drawn from Hindu religious symbolism and is used even now in the eastern countries,'' said Shonali.
In the dim flashes of the torches, Shonali could read a Sanskrit text written down on the 'Dhvaj'.
हे ज्ञानसाधक, त्वं यस्य रहस्यस्यान्वेषणं करोषि, तद् त्वं यथा मन्यसे तदपेक्षयापि बहु सुलभं वर्तते । किन्तु तस्यान्वेषणं कठिनम् । तदर्थं त्�
��ं तव मनः पूर्णतः समर्पितं कुर्याः। मार्गे ये विघ्नाः आगच्छन्ति तेषां प्रतिकारार्थम् आवश्यकं सामर्थ्यं त्वयि स्यात् । तमसः पारे ज्ञानप्रकाशः वसति । यदा त्वं प्रयत्नं करोषि तदैव त्वं स्वप्रश्नानां उत्तराणि प्राप्नोषि । किन्तु ध्याने भवतु, तदर्थं त्वं भगवन्तं बुद्धं शरणं गच्छेः ।
''And what does that mean?'' Ranjeet queried.
''As far as I know, this would go as: O seeker of wisdom. The secret you seek is far simpler than you think, yet very hard to find. You will need to completely devote your soul to the purpose. You will need the courage to face all the obstacles which may come in your path. Beyond the darkness lies the light of wisdom. Continue your journey and you may find the answers you seek. But remember- you must surrender yourself to Lord Buddha,'' said Shonali.
But that was not the only thing on the flag. Visible faintly below the Sanskrit writing were four pictures drawn in black ink.
A flame of fire, a horseshoe shaped figure, a cave and Reclining Buddha.
Chapter 40
Chief Co-ordinator's Office,
Project Testing Site,
Pokharan.
November, 1997
''I know it may be a little confusing for you, but I needed to call this meeting right now,'' assistant co-ordinator A.K. Das said, looking sternly at Ajaysingh, Jacob and Shashank.
''Last night we lost a valuable fragment of our data and some of our blueprints of the shaft designs. This was not the first reported loss of documents. We could have lost almost all the work we have done on this project had I not backed up all the data sheets on our main systems at Delhi. We are retrieving that data now and the project will proceed as planned. I don't know how any of this is happening in spite of the tight security. I believe it is the work of someone from the inside. I regret to say this, gentlemen, but there is a traitor amongst us. Until he is found, trust no one. I am going to ask our commandos to search the living quarters of each and every person residing here including you guys. Please co-operate with them and report any suspicious activity you see around the facility immediately.''
The trio nodded their heads and left the co-ordinator's office. It was almost three months that Ajay, Jacob and Shashank had been working together. They didn't fully know about each other's projects and research, but the three months of togetherness had made them fine companions. The trio walked towards their bunks across the facility which had undergone a complete makeover in the past few months.
''If we do this right, this project would be remembered as one of CIA's biggest failures,'' said Ajay as they walked in the warm morning sand.
''Yeah. I heard that the agency has been keeping tabs on everyone linked with the project since the time of Pokharan 1. It also has a powerful human intelligence which constantly keeps an ear on every news, which passes through the corridors of the central command at Delhi. And yet we have successfully managed to keep this work going. Maybe the agency is involved in the mysterious disappearance of the designs,'' Shashank replied.
Jacob was quiet for a while. He was not the talking guy. He liked the silence and tried to keep his conversation to a minimum. That had been irritating for Shashank and Ajay for the first month, but eventually both of them realised that they also needed a good listener like Jacob in their group. Little chats over the dinner, project presentations and discussions with their seniors were the only times when the three friends met. The rest of the time they were all busy in their respective labs. They lived in the same room and yet their sleeping schedules were different. Ajay used to work overnight and rest during daytime while Jacob utilised the daytime to work at his job.
''Why does the CIA have to poke its nose in every affair? They have interfered with this very project two times earlier. I suppose they will pressurize the government to stop the project yet again,'' Ajay was worried.
A messenger came running to Shashank with a chit in his hand.
''This message just came in for you,'' the messenger said, handing over the chit to Shashank.
The chit read-
THE CHARLIE HAS GONE TO EXAMINE KUMBHAKARAN.
Shashank chuckled.
''Guys, have to go. The team from DRDO is right now examining the third shaft. That's my sector,'' he said, waving his friends a goodbye.
Ajay and Jacob knew the code. Shafts were the holes dug to explode the bombs for testing. There were six shafts which were to be used for tests. The earlier team had made some mistakes which had alerted the US to the possibility of tests thrice in the earlier decade. But now learning from their mistakes, the scientists and the military men knew what to do and what not to. They had started using codes for all those words which might arouse suspicion to anyone overhearing the radio communications. All the shafts had their specific code names. The shaft which was reserved for the exploding hydrogen bomb was code named- The White House. The one reserved for the atomic bomb explosion was termed as- The Taj Mahal. The well in which the third shaft was sunk had been abandoned for many years. So it was named Kumbhakaran. Even the teams of scientists and DRDO members had code names like 'Sierra' and 'Bottle'. The DRDO team was popularly known as the 'CHARLIE' while the BARC team was called 'BRAVO'. The day to day radio communication would go as- 'The Taj Mahal and White House are all set for testing. Let the Charlie have a look at it.' Simple and effective way to stay off the radar.
The cold morning breeze hit them as Ajay and Jacob stopped to have a cup of tea.
''You know Jacob, this place has an interesting history. It was not the same here a couple of years ago. The place was abandoned after Pokharan 1 was shut down. The 58th Army Engineering Corps had to dig two shafts of an average depth of 50 metres within a month. Moreover, efforts had to be made to shield it from the constant surveillance of espionage satellites. The regiment folded up their sleeves and took up the job. The officers first looked out for a new area to sink the two new wells. The nine disused wells at Navtala came in handy as they were fairly deep and the team had less to dig. They had learned from their earlier mistakes that one way those satellites could tell new activity was going on was because engineers usually erected a fence around the shaft to keep away both stray cattle and other military units. This time they tried a new trick. They didn't use the fence. Instead, they put up a sign: 'Danger. Mined Area. Keep Out' to dissuade others. And the trick worked. The sign didn't come up on the satellite scans. Everyone has given a lot to this project- the army, the government, DRDO, BARC. It took the last two decades to reach here. We are almost near the end and I think we would be honouring everyone who put their sweat in this project, the day we successfully do those tests,'' Ajay said, taking a sip of the hot tea.
''The stakes are too high.'' Jacob gave his typical one liners.
The month of November went by without any other documents going missing.
It was on the morning of 15th December 1997 that a new rumour broke out at the Pokharan facility.
Shashank asked about it during their tea session.
''You guys heard the rumour? The ISI is equally interested in our work as the CIA. RAW just sent in the Intel that they intercepted a radio communication which referred to Pokharan and nuclear blasts frequently. Why would Pakistan be interested in our research?''
Jacob sipped at his tea, remained silent as ever.
''Pakistan's nuclear program started in 1970's. Maybe they too are developing their own nuclear arsenal. Can't trust anyone these days. Even amateurs have started playing with big bombs,'' Ajay said, smiling sarcastically.
That instant, Ajay had no idea that one of the top espionage agents of the ISI was standing just a metre away from him.
''Take us south. Near the city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Miss Shonali has a hunch that the next marker is the hidden somewhere in the Ajanta caves,'' David instructed the pilot.
''How can you be so sure that the Ajanta Caves is the place to look for that artefact?'' Ranjeet asked, climbing aboard as the chopper set course towards its destination.
''It's our best shot. Three of the four things on that dhvaja directly point out to Ajanta caves,'' Shonali replied.
''And which are those?''
''The picture of the cave, the horseshoe shaped valley and more importantly a picture of the Reclining Buddha. Ajanta Caves were built over a horseshoe shaped terrain. That dhvaja might be one of the earlier designs of the caves. The sculpture of the Reclining Buddha, also known as the Sleeping Buddha, is considered to be one of the best artworks of these caves.''
''So what about the lamp?'' Ranjeet asked.
Sameer tucked in his head into the conversation.''The lamp has always been the symbol of wisdom in the Buddhist literature. Maybe they have kept their wisdom hidden in the caves.''
''And we haven't found that yet? The Ajanta Caves have been open for public viewing since a long time.'' Ranjeet looked suprised.
''The best secrets are the ones hidden in plain sight. I know these caves have been thoroughly inspected by many historians but there might be something they could have missed,'' quoted Shonali.
Meanwhile, David was busy contacting the headquarters for more updates about the happenings in Delhi.
''David to HQ, any clues from the IB about the blast incident?''
''This is HQ. Negative, David. The trace of jamming device is also proving a waste of time. What is your status?''
''Me and my team are heading towards the Ajanta Caves. I am not sure if that is the next marker or the location of the artefact or simply a dead end. It is Miss Shonali's prediction. You do not have ANY leads until now?''
Operation Chaos: A Gripping Action Thriller Page 10