Hi Josh,
You see, if india crosses that hurdle and accepts the bid of 126 F 18's---it is a new begining for your country and whatever the politicians or anybody else says, there will be no going back for the indians. American war machine and weaponery is very addictive.
Trust me on this---once you start driving the corvette of sports cars, you won't be going bakc to the ZIL's and Lada's. Alongwith the fighters, there will be other packages available of a different assortment of gadgets and toys to which russia may not be able to compete for. Once your millitary starts using american equipment, they won't settle for anything less. Once you start buying made in america, you will start thinking in american, you will have american nuclear reactors, american warplanes, you have american call centers, you have more commerce with america, you look forward to millitary excercises with american forces, it truly is not in india's best interest to keep its friendship with russia at the same old level. Russia does not have much to offer to india at this time except for teh good old times.
India has the oppurtunity to go for its prom date with the number one boy-friend--america---so what is there to look back at now, except for the pre-neptual agreement that was signed in the form of nuclear treaty. Other than that it is a --' blitzer bleiter'.
On the other hand, pakistan and russia will find find out that they are natural allies. Once afghan issue is settled and american forces leave, that realization would hit real hard and there will be an urge to do something.
Does america know that---off course it does. That is why it may not leave any sooner than expected. I mean---just look around---there is so much un-predictability in american reaction, you never know what to expect.