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‘Hmm.’ Anbu stroked his chin thoughtfully. ‘Rao was right all along. The vultures have begun to come together. We’ve been hearing rumours and getting vague reports about someone like this for some time now.’

‘And sir!’ Tanaz interrupted. ‘I remember his face vividly. It’s not the kind of face one could forget.’

‘Excellent! Then you can help us prepare an Identikit photo of him.’

‘That’s a computer-generated photograph,’ Tiwathia explained. ‘You describe whatever you remember and the computer draws it and keeps changing it till it matches the image in your memory. Our intel officers are real wizards at it.’

‘I’m sure I can do that.’

‘Perfect! As soon as we’ve finished, Vikram will arrange for it to be done.’ Anbu smiled at Tanaz. ‘I have a feeling this man is important.’

‘There’s no doubt about that, sir,’ Tanaz agreed. ‘Everyone was terrified of him. There was something… something…’ she searched for the right word, ‘something really powerful and…
evil
about him. It’s hard to put into words, sir.’

For a while they sat quietly, sipping tea. Then Iqbal said, ‘You’ve heard our part of the story, sir. Now tell us what’s been happening here in the past few months that we’ve been away.’

For a moment Anbu looked at a loss for words. Then he got up and came around to put his hand on Iqbal’s shoulder. ‘There is something you need to know,’ he said.

Iqbal eyes filled with apprehension.

‘When I got your call, I inquired about your father. I thought you would wish to meet him.’

‘And?’ Iqbal said, his voice barely a whisper.

‘He is no more, Iqbal. They say he had a massive stroke about two months ago and died in his sleep.’

For a long moment Iqbal didn’t speak. ‘And my brother Ashraf?’ he asked finally. ‘Do you know where he is?’

‘They say he left Lucknow just after your father’s demise and moved south. We’re not sure where, but give me a little time and we’ll find him for you.’

‘I would be grateful, sir.’ Iqbal looked away, trying to mask the sudden sickening dread coursing through him. ‘I just hope he hasn’t also… like me…’

‘Don’t worry, Iqbal, I’m sure he’s well and we’ll find him soon.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

There was silence for a while as Iqbal struggled to rein in his emotions. It was he who finally broke it. ‘What else has been happening here, sir? How are things now?’

Before Anbu could reply, Tiwathia spoke up: ‘Not so good, man. In fact, it’s getting worse with every passing day.’

‘Really?’ Iqbal was taken aback by Tiwathia’s sombre tone.

‘Yes.’ Tiwathia told them about the serial bombings by the Indian Mujahideen in various Indian cities. ‘The number of casualties is horrendous.’

‘Damn them!’ Iqbal exclaimed angrily, memories of the bomb that had claimed his mother and sister searing through his mind again. ‘What are we doing about it?’

‘You’ve been down that road, Iqbal,’ Anbu replied softly. ‘You know we’re doing all we can, but...’

‘It’s obviously not enough,’ Iqbal completed the sentence for him. ‘There has to be more that we can do.’

‘There always is, and we are trying, but there is only so much the security forces can do.’

‘Is there anything I can do to help, sir?’

‘There is, actually.’ Anbu’s voice was pitched even lower now. ‘But it could be dangerous… very dangerous.’

Iqbal looked Anbu straight in the eye. ‘That’s why we came back – so we could do our bit.’

‘No, Iqbal, it’s not that simple. I want both of you to give this some thought before you decide to say yes.’ Iqbal was about to speak when Anbu held up his hand. ‘No, hear me out. This could be very dangerous and no one will blame you for not wanting to get involved – especially now that Tanaz is expecting a child.’

‘But sir…’

‘Iqbal!’ Anbu admonished. ‘We all know how much you two have already done. In any case, you haven’t even heard what I have in mind.’

‘So tell us, sir.’ Tanaz spoke for the first time. Her expression was calm, yet determined. ‘We didn’t come back to India because we wanted to sit back and relax. We want to continue the fight. If we don’t defend our religion from these lunatics, who will?’

Anbu studied their faces for a moment. Then he told them what he had in mind.

T
here was a long silence when Anbu finshed. Iqbal caught and held Tanaz’s eyes.

Then he turned and faced Anbu again.

‘Tell me sir, how much damage will we be able to do? This is just one terrorist organization among so many others.’

‘True, but this terror cell is still relatively new and has yet to find its feet. Also, despite being the new kid on the block, it’s proving to be one of the more dangerous ones, as we can see from the huge damage they have already inflicted on several cities. They seem to be getting better organized with each passing week and are being aggressively supported by our friends across the border. If it’s not checked soon, it will acquire critical mass and spiral out of control. Taking down the Indian Mujahideen will send out a clear, strong signal to the rest.’

‘I see.’ Iqbal and Tanaz exchanged glances again. ‘In that case, we’ll do it.’ He spoke quietly, but firmly.

‘Are you sure?’ Anbu looked at Tanaz. ‘You’re going to be parents soon…’

‘You think Iqbal is ideal for this assignment and we need to act quickly, so where is the ambiguity?’

‘That’s true, but…’

‘Sir, if everyone only worries about themselves, what will happen to our children? What kind of world will they grow up in – if they are allowed to grow up at all?’

‘You know what will happen if your cover is blown during the operation?’ Anbu persisted. ‘They won’t show you any mercy.’

‘They never do, sir.’ Iqbal’s tone was final, as was their decision.

‘You will have to do this one on your own, Iqbal.’ Anbu nodded at Tanaz. ‘I wouldn’t expose her to any danger.’

‘I may be pregnant, sir, but that doesn’t prevent me from handling communication and other such tasks. And I won’t let Iqbal do it all on his own.’ She got up and went to stand beside Iqbal, her hands resting on his shoulders. ‘Not today, not ever.’

‘That’s all very well, Tanaz, but operational decisions are not taken emotionally. There is no point in taking unwarranted risks. I don’t think you really appreciate the risks involved in such an operation.’

‘That may be so, sir, but I go where he goes.’

‘You do realize there will be many times when you’re going to be entirely on your own? We’ll try to be around as much as we can, but there’s no way anyone can guarantee foolproof, 24x7 support in such ops.’

‘I understand, sir, and I think we can take care of ourselves and each other.’

Iqbal turned to Tanaz. ‘Tanaz, maybe you should –’ he began.

‘No, Iqbal,’ Tanaz cut him off. ‘Wherever we go, we go together… especially if there is danger.’

Iqbal turned to Anbu and nodded, unable to mask the love and pride shining in his eyes. ‘So be it, sir. We travel together.’

‘Fine, if that’s what you want,’ Anbu said, still reluctant. ‘Let me see how we can work this out in detail. Meanwhile, you two go and catch up on some R&R. I’m sure you’re both in real need of some rest and recreation!’

‘That we are, sir,’ Iqbal conceded, ‘but before that, there’s a favour we have to ask of you.’ There was a sheepish expression on his face.

‘Of course, what can I do for you?’

‘Tanaz and I never got the opportunity to get married, sir, so…’

‘Of course!’ Anbu jumped up with a laugh. ‘It will be a pleasure for us to organize that. And I’ll host the dinner afterwards!’ He turned to Tiwathia. ‘Aren’t you going to help organize the first wedding on this base? After all, this is the guy who took a bullet for you.’

‘I know, sir,’ Tiwathia quipped, ‘which is why I’m wondering if it’s right to condemn him to a life sentence like this.’

‘There’s just one more thing, sir,’ Iqbal requested when the laughter had subsided, ‘we don’t want any religious rites.’

‘Any particular reason, Iqbal… Tanaz?’ He looked at them questioningly.

‘Well, sir…’ This time it was Tanaz who answered. ‘Let’s just say that both of us seem to have lost faith in religion. Of course,’ she added hastily, ‘we both believe in god, but we don’t have much to say for organized religion… any religion.’

‘Hmm… I see,’ Anbu replied. ‘Okay, I guess I know where you two are coming from. Let me take care of it accordingly.’

‘Thank you very much, sir.’ Iqbal smiled his gratitude.

‘Not so fast, young man!’ Anbu grinned. ‘You can thank me after you’ve experienced some part of married life. Come, MS, we have work to do. Vikram, the party needs to rock, don’t forget!’

A
nd it did. For the first time in all the years since the military base had been built, the hills around echoed with music, a welcome change from the gunfire that people there were used to.

Dressed in a red sari gifted to her by Captain Ankita Bhatnagar and with assistance from the lady who ran the tiny beauty parlour in the nearby town, the bride looked radiant. So, for that matter, did the groom, dressed in a sherwani that fitted him a lot better than it did Captain Mohammed Sami, who had given it to him. No doubt he would have looked a darn sight more handsome if he’d been able to keep the silly, perpetual grin off his face.

The wedding ceremony was short and shorn of all but the bare essentials. The party that followed was anything but short; it lasted almost through the night and was certainly not quiet. By the time the exhausted but happy couple managed to get back to their room, the first rays of a yet to be born sun had touched the snowclad mountaintops of the Himalayas with their fingers of gentle light.

‘It’s lovely, isn’t it, and so peaceful,’ Tanaz murmured as she stood at the massive glass window overlooking the valley.

Iqbal came up from behind to wrap his arms around her. ‘It’s magnificent,’ he said. ‘You have no idea how happy I am today. I feel so… complete.’

They stood there watching the sun come up, setting fire to the silent hills.

Tanaz leaned back into Iqbal with a sigh. ‘I feel like I’m finally home.’

‘Me too.’ Iqbal nuzzled her neck with his lips. ‘I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I’ll carry these memories with me as long as I live.’

‘Hush!’ Tanaz whispered, pulling his arms tighter around her. ‘We’re alive and we’re together. For now, that’s all that matters.’

T
iwathia ensured that Tanaz and Iqbal were taken care of like royalty, at least as far as was possible in the almost Spartan setting of the Force 22 base. But their honeymoon and R&R were seriously curtailed by Anbu’s order that neither of them should leave the base.

‘It’s for your own good,’ he explained when Iqbal protested. ‘If we’re thinking of sending you for an infiltration mission, it’s better you remain under wraps as much as possible. You never know who you might meet in town and then run into again at an awkward moment.’

‘That’s true,’ Tiwathia seconded his boss, ‘some brilliant operatives have been blown by the most random encounters.’

So the duo stayed at the base while Anbu and his intelligence team spent hours collating all the information they could lay their hands on about YPS and the Indian Mujahideen. When they came up against a particularly intractable source or an unusually tangled problem, Anbu called G.K. Rao, the NIA.

‘Why don’t you want to disclose the identity of the operative, Colonel?’ Rao asked. ‘Is there anything I need to know?’

‘No, Mr Rao.’ Anbu was candid. ‘I just don’t want to take any chances. You know how it is – the more people who know, the more the chances of a mess-up.’

‘That’s true! But are you sure that’s the only reason, or do you suspect a…’

‘Nothing of the sort, Mr Rao. You’ll be the first to know if my people spot anything amiss.’

‘That’s fine,’ said Rao. ‘But you do know the danger of sending in an unidentified asset? He will have no protection from the cops either… should that contingency ever arise.’

‘I know, but I think it’s a justified risk. We need to neutralize the Indian Mujahideen and destroy their source of funding and support before they become fully entrenched.’

‘Okay, as long as you’ve given thought to it. When do you want to send in your man?’

‘I never said it was a man, Mr Rao.’

‘Nice, very nice.’ Rao laughed, a low rumbling laugh. ‘I like your style, Colonel. I am sure your people will pull it off with the same panache with which you’ve carried out your previous operations.’

‘God willing! You agree about the target we’ve chosen?’

‘Absolutely! We need to destroy it before it grows and spreads its tentacles all over the country.’

‘I think so too.’

‘So, when does he go in?’

‘The operative,’ Anbu stressed the word, ‘goes in when I’m convinced that adequate training has been imparted.’

‘Don’t take too long, Colonel. You know how much we’re bleeding on this one. They need to be finished asap.’ With that, the call ended and the training began.

ELEVEN

Tiwathia was pacing the floor of the tiny but hi-tech classroom when Tanaz and Iqbal walked in. Iqbal smiled when he saw Tiwathia.

‘So you’re going to be the one training us? Great! It’s going to be fun then…’

‘Fun?’ Tiwathia’s voice was cold, his face expressionless. ‘Don’t think, even for a moment, that I’m here as your friend or that training is ever
fun
. In fact, it’s because you saved my life once and I consider you a friend that I’m going to make damn sure you train as though both your lives depend on it… which they do.’ He paused and took a deep breath. ‘Listen, the more you sweat in peace, the less you will bleed in war. And don’t ever doubt that you’re going to war. It’s going to be bloody and the first mistake you make may well be your last one. And this war, remember, has no rules. Bear that in mind when I push you to the very edge of your limits and then a little beyond.’

‘Vikram, I…’

‘Quiet, Iqbal!’ Tiwathia said sharply. ‘Don’t interrupt me again. As long as we’re in training, you’ll only speak when you are spoken to. And another thing – in this classroom it’s not Vikram, it’s sir… always sir.’ His voice softened a little. ‘There will be days when you hate me, days when you curse yourself for having agreed to this, but that’s all right as far as I am concerned. As long as I’m convinced here,’ Vikram tapped his heart, ‘that I have done my utmost to ensure you two come out of this mission alive. Clear?’