It is judged in the quiet aftermath, in the credibility of a nation’s voice, and in its ability to face reality with composure. It is this history that renders its denials regarding ‘Operation Bunyan um Marsoos’ utterly devoid of credibility. Ultimately, the repeated crumbling of India’s narratives reveals a state caught between its grand ambitions and its on-ground limitations. India’s compulsive need to create a mythology of perpetual victory has become its greatest vulnerability. It has surrendered the moral high ground and, in its desperate attempt to control the story, has lost control of its own credibility.