What follows is something I wrote years ago as a prologue to a story set in the aftermath of a nuclear war. Reading it now feels chilling—uncomfortably close to reality. Thankfully, we haven’t reached that point, but it’s a path we must do everything in our power to avoid. I apologize if this comes across as grim; it feels that way to me too. I grew up in the era of “duck and cover,” only to later realize it offered little more than false comfort. My hope is that staring into the gates of hell gives us pause—that it makes some turn back, rather than press forward out of ego or pride.
A Fire Starts Small, But the Forest Is Dry
If history has taught us anything—it’s that men don’t stumble into hell; they dig the hole, pour the gasoline, and strike the match themselves. And they always think it’ll be a small fire.
Trouble starts with a border skirmish, a bitter memory, or a politician with more ambition than wisdom. And like every gunpowder fuse ever lit, it sparks with a hiss of righteousness and pride. They always say it’ll be quick. Clean. Just a little show of strength.
But pride makes for poor firebreaks. And once the fire is lit—well, the flames don’t stop to ask who lit the match. In the case of India, Pakistan, and the long-suffering land of Kashmir, it wasn’t the fire that surprised the world. It was how fast it spread, and how many were burned by it.
From Smoldering Dispute to Nuclear Inferno
Kashmir: The Perpetual Tinderbox
The Indo-Pakistani conflict is one of those old scars on the map—redrawn lines that bleed every few years. Born out of the 1947 Partition, Kashmir was the wound that never closed. When India revoked Article 370 in 2019—stripping Kashmir of autonomy—the pressure cooker hissed.
Pakistani-backed insurgents stepped up attacks. India cracked down harder. And though the world watched, it watched like a man watching dry grass beneath a lightning storm: helpless.
China’s Quiet Entrance
As the ground smoldered, China came sneaking in through the side door. Armed to the teeth and hungry for leverage along the Line of Actual Control, China and Pakistan sensed an opportunity—an Indian distraction.
Together, they devised a two-front war: Pakistan to the west, China from the east. It was a gamble based on speed and surprise. But India—seasoned by decades of conflict—did not fold.
War Escalates – From Guerrilla Raids to Full Assault
India’s military strength turned back Pakistan’s invasion. China’s eastern maneuver stalled in the Himalayas. The skies filled with dogfights, and tank columns chewed up the valley floor. Pakistan’s interim Prime Minister, Anwar ul Haq Kakar, was cornered, his war effort floundering.
His top general, Syed Asim Munir, offered one last card.
“We Have Nuclear Weapons.”
The most dangerous phrase in geopolitics. Unlike India, which promises no first use, Pakistan has no such policy. And now, with nowhere left to retreat, the generals prepared the launch codes.
The Day the Sun Rose Twice
With missile defenses barely holding, Indian radars picked up nuclear warheads mobilizing near Karachi. Diplomacy had long left the room. Retaliation was inevitable. When Pakistan launched over 100 nuclear missiles—many intercepted, but dozens struck New Delhi—it was too late to hope for restraint.
India responded. And responded hard.
Agni-Vs. Submarine-launched missiles. Prithvi-IIs. Pakistan’s cities glowed not with victory, but with radioactive fire. Islamabad, Karachi, and Rawalpindi were erased. Its leaders, too slow to surrender and too quick to escalate, never saw the ashes settle.
And Then… Silence
India survived, but at a price: New Delhi was gone. The border, irradiated. The victory hollow. The world stood horrified. China retreated. The United Nations scrambled. But the damage had been done.
Ashes Can’t Be Unburned
See, that’s the thing about war. Folks always think it’ll be one punch. One slap. One shot. A quick dust-up to prove who’s bigger. But war has no brakes. Once it starts, it grows teeth, grows legs, and takes on a life of its own.
What began as a regional scuffle in Kashmir ended with mushroom clouds over two nations, millions of lives lost or changed forever, and a lesson the world keeps forgetting: you can start a war, but you don’t get to choose how big it gets—or who survives it. Our children will damn us forever.
So the next time a politician says, “It’ll be quick,” remember: so is the lighting of a match. But what comes after is never under your control.
NUCLEAR WAR IS NOT AN OPTION FOR HUMANITY
© 2025 insearchofyourpassions.com - Some Rights Reserve - This website and its content are the property of YNOT. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You are free to share and adapt the material for any purpose, even commercially, as long as you give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
