Internal Doubts:
Even Mehtab Qureshi started showing signs of doubt.
"This is going too fast," he told Rayan. "They're feeling bypassed."
"Then they should have done something in the last thirty years," Rayan replied, sharper than usual.
But Mehtab was right. Friction was building. Quiet, sticky, and dangerous.
---
A New Ally Appears:
That night, Kamal received a message on a secure line from someone he hadn't spoken to in years.
Codename: Vulture—a mid-tier intel analyst who handled internal threat assessments. He was blunt.
> "You're creating a power vacuum. And vacuums attract filth."
> "So help us fill it," Kamal replied.
Vulture didn't say yes. But the next morning, SRS's office server received an anonymous upload:
> "Unofficial Loyalty Map" – Federal Secretaries & Joint Secretaries by department.
Green: Neutral
Orange: Watching
Red: Actively undermining
The file name? "Choose your battles."
---
Late-May Strategy Huddle:
Rayan called a closed-door meeting at 9 PM.
Candles flickered from load shedding. The kettle was broken again.
"We don't escalate," Rayan said calmly. "We don't react. We stay under the radar and keep showing results."
Zara added, "Let's use the pushback as fuel. It means we're in the bloodstream now."
Kamal nodded. "This isn't resistance. This is confirmation."
---
And so, the movement pivoted.
Less visibility. More outcome.
They began calling it "Quiet Power"—governing without speeches, reforming without press conferences, and winning without announcements.
The war was on.
But it had no face.
And that made it even more dangerous.