章 166: Operation Mountain Shadow - I

The silence in the R&AW conference room felt heavy.

Ajay Singh sat, his eyes showing the weight of countless missions, losses, and near-deaths.

His team had barely returned from the brink of death, and the exhaustion was written all over him.

The death of Rajesh still hung over the room like a dark cloud.

K.N. Rao stood at the head of the table, pacing slowly, his face grim.

Ajay knew what was coming.

"You've done enough," Rao said quietly, breaking the silence, his voice soft but firm. "You and your team need to stand down. Get some rest."

Ajay opened his mouth to argue, but Rao raised a hand.

"Listen to me, Ajay. This isn't a request. You're tired, and your team has given everything. We've lost too many good men."

Ajay let out a long breath, leaning back in his chair.

The bruises from their last mission still throbbed, and the mental fatigue was even worse.