282: Side Story ● The Desperate Situation of the Three Kingdoms 9

On the afternoon the agreement was signed, sunlight pierced through the mist over Gurgaon, spilling onto the orderly positions of the Pakistan army.

Major General Arif's orders were swiftly transmitted through the command structure at all levels.

"All units, withdraw from current positions as planned and return to the designated border. Maintain vigilance and demonstrate our army's discipline."

The torrent of steel began to flow in reverse.

Unlike the thunderous offensive when they arrived, the withdrawal appeared steady and composed.

The "Fierce Rhino" main battle tanks painted in Pakistan desert camouflage, the "Fierce Tiger" armored personnel carriers, and the massive logistics convoy formed a long line stretching several kilometers, slowly driving away from the outskirts of New Delhi, which they had once aimed their forces at.

Along both sides of the road, some bold Indian citizens gradually gathered.

They were ragged and gaunt, watching with complex expressions as the army that had brought such deep humiliation to their country departed.

In their eyes, there was deep-seated hatred and lingering fear, but even more so, a sense of bewilderment and disillusionment.

An old man leaned on his cane, watching the tank tracks crush the damaged road, muttering to himself.

"They've left... they've just left like that... but us... what do we have left?"

A young mother held her child tightly, her eyes vacant, as if asking: Where does the road to the future lie?

Several Indian veterans stood by the roadside, angrily shaking their fists at the convoy and cursing loudly in Hindi.

But their voices were quickly drowned out by the roar of engines, appearing so powerless.

The army they had once been so proud of had now lost all prestige, failing even to protect the capital.

The Pakistan soldiers sat in their vehicles, mostly remaining silent.

They had won the war, but facing those complex gazes by the roadside, a hint of heaviness was mixed into the joy of victory.

A young tanker looked outside through the observation window and said to the tank commander.

"Sergeant, they seem to hate us."

The experienced old tank commander sighed and patted his shoulder.

"Remember this moment, kid. Victory is hard-won, but how one treats the defeated better reflects a nation's magnanimity."

"We didn't come here to destroy; we came to take back what belongs to us and ensure we are no longer bullied in the future."

"Now, the mission is complete, and we are going home."

The convoy moved forward slowly, kicking up dust along the way.

This scene—the victor's steel column retreating composedly under the silent or angry gaze of the defeated—became one of the most symbolic scenes of the end of the old era of India and the strong rise of Pakistan.

The withdrawal of the Pakistan army, far from calming the turmoil within India, was like removing the final boulder pressing down on a volcano.

The central government's act of signing the humiliating treaty was seen as the ultimate manifestation of weakness and incompetence, completely igniting the long-suppressed flames of regional separatism.

First in the northeast, the declaration of independence of Assam State was like a bugle call.

Immediately following, the southern state of Tamil Nadu, using its unique Dravidian culture and language as a banner, formally announced its secession from "New Delhi's Sanskritized rule" and established the "Republic of Dravidistan."

The western state of Maharashtra, relying on the economic hub of Mumbai, saw powerful local political parties unite with industrial and commercial giants to announce the establishment of the "Maharashtra Federation," no longer paying any taxes to the central government.

This was just the beginning.

Panic and opportunism spread like a plague:

Karnataka State—especially the elites in the IT hub of Bangalore, fearing that turmoil would affect the economy, were the first to declare "autonomy," which subsequently escalated to "independence" within a few days.

Kerala State, with its high literacy rate and unique political ecology, also announced itself as the "People's Republic of Kerala."

The Sikh separatist force "Khalistan Movement" in Punjab State took the opportunity to rise, with militants attacking government agencies and announcing the establishment of the "State of Khalistan."

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana... even the relatively stable Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh saw strong calls for autonomy, with local warlords and politicians carving out their own territories one after another.

Within just one month, the once vast India, known as "Incredible India," split into more than a dozen mutually independent and even hostile political entities.

The map was redrawn, and flags of various colors rose over the newly established "nations."

On the borders, it was no longer the unified Indian border defense force, but various local armed groups with mixed equipment.

In order to compete for water sources, land, minerals, and important transportation lines, small-scale conflicts and skirmishes occurred almost every day.

The Patel government attempted a final effort.

He issued an appeal from the dilapidated Prime Minister's office through the only remaining state-run television station, his voice hoarse and desperate.

"...Representatives of the states, please return to the negotiating table! Separatism will only bring poverty and war! We need unity..."

However, what responded to him were the successive interruptions of television signals from various regions and mocking statements.

Not a single newly established "nation" was willing to heed the orders of the central government in New Delhi, which had already lost its military force and credibility.

His orders, once powerful, could now not even leave the gates of the Prime Minister's office.

After failing once again to mobilize the remaining troops willing to accept orders to quell the rebellion in the neighboring state of Haryana, Patel was completely desperate.

He faced the empty cabinet meeting room and smiled bitterly at the few remaining confidants.

"We... have failed. This country, in my hands... has ended."

The next day, Narendra Patel announced his resignation as Prime Minister of India and all other posts, subsequently disappearing from the public eye.

India's central government, both legally and in fact, had completely lost control over the entire country.

A once ambitious dream of becoming a great power collapsed in such a rapid and tragic manner.