A New India

Chapter 106: The Final Countdown

February 23 1953, the day before India's first nuclear test. The whole Prime minister office was still full of energy as if nothing that was about to change the fate of India was happening.

There was no distrubance everything was going as it should be, clouding the world in doubt about whether some rumours that is hard to believe is true.

Amidst all the confusion and illusion, India was working day and night to achieve something, which Rohan desperately wanted.

He sat in his New Delhi office, waiting for the updates that were coming in every few hours from the Pokhran test site.

He has specially ask to be reported about even minor to minor details and made sure there is no communication gap between teams.

It was a clam and peaceful night yet he could feel the pressure on him, even though he knows that everything will go according to plan, he still felt the worried about everything because next day everything will change.

Everything they had worked for, everything he had planned, rested on the success of what would happen tomorrow. If India succeed tommorow he will be immortalized in the history of India. But there are still few hours before he could receive it.

His chain of thoughts were broken when Neeraj entered the room quietly, carrying a folder with the latest briefing.

Without looking up from his desk, Rohan spoke, his voice low and steady.

"How is everything going on?

Neeraj sat across from him, unfolding the document. "Dr. Bhabha reports that the core assembly is functional and complete. The plutonium device is in place, and the detonation system has been wired. The tests on the electrical circuits have all returned positive results."

Rohan gave a slight nod, still staring at the papers in front of him. "The site itself? No complications?"

"No, Prime Minister," Neeraj responded confidently. "The military has the area completely locked down. All personnel not directly involved with the test have been moved out discreetly. Pokhran is essentially a ghost area at this point only the key scientists and military officers are still at the site. Everyone else has been evacuated."

Rohan leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. "Good. The last thing we need is any interference now."

There was a pause as Neeraj shifted slightly, gathering his thoughts. For even he was feeling tired of everything in the past few days.

"We've completed the final safety checks on the explosive lenses as well," Neeraj continued. "Dr. Ramanna is confident that the compression sequence will trigger correctly, and the implosion mechanism is working as it should."

Rohan listened carefully, processing every word. "And the environmental containment?"

Neeraj glanced at the next page of his report. "Dr. Sarabhai has confirmed that the underground chamber should contain most of the explosion. They've put measures in place to minimize any fallout that might escape. Radiation monitoring will begin immediately after the test."

"Perfect." Rohan stood and walked toward the window, looking out at the quiet city. "It's strange, isn't it? The whole world is asleep, unaware that tomorrow we change the course of history."

Neeraj didn't respond right away. He knew Rohan's mind was racing far ahead preparing for what would come after the test, the complexities that are to come is not something that can be easily solved even with all the preparation.

The Prime Minister's ambition for India was clear, let India step into a new realm of respect and power on the world stage.

"We've prepared for this moment for years," Neeraj said, breaking the silence. "Everything has led to tomorrow."

Rohan turned back from the window, his face calm but intense. "Once that device is detonated, there's no turning back. The world will never look at us the same way neither will we look at the world with same way"

Neeraj nodded. "We're ready for it. The diplomatic backlash will be immediate, but we've planned for every reaction. From American to Soviet we have brainstormed their every move"

Rohan gave a slight smile, the tension briefly lifting. "Yes and if these western power push us too hard, we'll remind them of the alternatives. No matter what we will make sure they understand this is not a India they can bully"

The room grew quiet again. Rohan returned to his desk, looking at the clock. Time was moving quickly now.

"Tell Dr. Bhabha and his team to run one last diagnostic in the morning before they initiate the countdown. I want no surprises."

Neeraj nodded. "I'll relay the message immediately."

Pokhran Test Site — Midnight, February 23

In the still desert air of Pokhran, the final preparations were well underway. The entire site was under tight military security, with guards patrolling the perimeter and checkpoints established at key locations.

Inside the underground test chamber, the bomb a plutonium implosion device sat in place, awaiting its moment.

Dr. Homi Bhabha stood with Dr. Raja Ramanna and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, overseeing the last-minute checks.

There was an unspoken understanding among the team, this was more than a scientific achievement. This was India's statement to the world.

"The core is in place, and the explosive lenses have been calibrated," Dr. Ramanna said, reviewing the final technical readouts. "The electrical system is primed for detonation."

Bhabha adjusted his glasses, studying the data carefully. "Good. We've run through the detonation sequence enough times to be confident, but let's not take any chances. Run the diagnostic one more time. I want everything triple-checked."

Ramanna nodded, moving swiftly to relay the order to his team.

As Ramanna left, Bhabha turned to Sarabhai. "And the containment system?"

Sarabhai looked over his own set of figures. "The underground chamber should handle the majority of the blast. The engineers have reinforced the structure, and we've positioned radiation sensors around the perimeter. We'll know right away if there's any unexpected leakage."

Bhabha nodded, his face stern but satisfied. "We've taken every precaution. Now it's just a matter of waiting."

Outside, the night sky was clear, the stars undisturbed by the tensions below. In just a few hours, the silence of the desert would be shattered.

In New Delhi, the city was still dark, but dawn was approaching.

Rohan had barely slept, sitting at his desk, he glanced at the clock again. They were just hours away.

Neeraj entered the office once more, carrying the latest report from Pokhran. His face reflected the same intensity that Rohan felt.

"Prime Minister," Neeraj began, "I've spoken with Dr. Bhabha's team. They've completed the final diagnostic check on the detonation system. All systems are functioning perfectly."

Rohan nodded. "And the weather at night Pokhran?"

"Clear skies," Neeraj replied. "No wind, no interference. Perfect conditions for the test."

Rohan leaned back in his chair, letting out a slow breath. "We're really going to do this."

Neeraj smiled, though the gravity of the situation was not lost on him. "It's happening, sir."

Rohan stood and walked to the large window, watching as the first hint of dawn began to break over the horizon.

He thought about what this test meant not just for India, but for him personally.

He died and came to a new world as the prime minister of India in 1947, too many things has happened ever since then but today he finally felt that calling.

He has finally achieved something that if not achieved today will only come some 50 years down the line.

Today he can look back to himself of past and feel proud that he is about to achieve something that will change the fate of India and the world forever.

This was a moment decades in the making. Tomorrow, India would no longer be viewed as just another emerging nation. Tomorrow, they would be a nuclear power.

"Once that bomb goes off," Rohan said quietly, "we will walk a different path"

Neeraj stood by his side, silent but understanding.

They had prepared for every possible reaction, every contingency.

But even with all the planning, no one could fully predict what would come next.

"We've prepared for this," Neeraj said softly. "We'll be ready for whatever happens."

Rohan didn't respond immediately. He stared out at the rising sun and Finally, he spoke.

"We'll be ready."

Pokhran — 5:00 A.M, February 24

The desert was still dark, but the sky was beginning to show the first light of dawn. The final moments had arrived.

The bomb was sealed inside the underground chamber, and the countdown was about to begin.

Dr. Homi Bhabha stood with his team, their faces focused but calm. The command center was quiet, every man and woman present fully aware of the gravity of the situation.

"All systems are green," one of the engineers reported. "We're ready to initiate the countdown."

Dr. Bhabha took a deep breath. "Begin the countdown."

As the clock began to tick down, the final moments of calm settled over the desert.

In just a few short minutes, the landscape and the world would be forever changed.

The test was about to begin.