India, May 7 -- As panic spirals in Islamabad, India responds not with noise, but with quiet, deliberate readiness. Across land, sea, air and cyberspace, a new dialect of deterrence - rooted in credibility, capacity, and control - has taken shape. And in that language, New Delhi has already spoken

I have spent thirty-five years in uniform, and one truth has stayed with me: the side that controls psychology and preparation wins half the war before the first shot is fired. Today, that truth works in India's favour. Panic races through television studios in Lahore; Cabinet ministers in Islamabad delete midnight tweets about "imminent Indian aggression."

On our side of the fence, we tighten boot-laces, rehearse drills, and wait. Today, pani...