‘Tell us, what are we supposed to do? We are ready,’ Atharv said, returning Abu-Lakhvi’s gaze without blinking. ‘Give us targets, show us the way. We will smash the community of stone worshippers.’

Abu-Lakhvi remained silent for a few moments. ‘Merey veer, have you ever played chess?’ he eventually asked.

‘Yes, of course,’ Atharv replied.

‘Then you will know that the game is won if you kill your rival’s king. The king can be killed by any of the five types of chess pieces – the pawn, rook, knight, bishop and queen. The piece that kills gets all the attention, but actually it plays the least significant role in the rout of the enemy, in the win,’ Abu-Lakhvi said.

‘It is the other chess pieces that lay the trap, the plan to kill the king, and thus actually win the war. These pieces are the planners, the organizers, the masterminds. As a planner of the plot, you should have dexterity, manoeuvrability and intelligence of the highest order. You should have the ability to think through the entire operation, including how the enemy will respond and all that can go wrong.

‘You must be what is required as per the situation. So, at times you could be a pawn, which strikes diagonally to kill, or a bishop, which moves only diagonally, or a rook, which moves along straight lines horizontally and vertically, or a knight, which moves two steps along a straight line and can then move left or right. Or, you could be a queen, which can move along straight as well as diagonal lines.

‘Adapt, adjust, get the target. Operation ko kamyaab karo kisi bhi keemat pe. Understood?’ Abu-Lakhvi asked.

‘I think so,’ said Atharv, unsure of what was being asked of him.

‘See, Imran. You and your fellow recruits here have been trained well in the operational as well as the theoretical aspects of an operation; you can plan an assassination or an ambush of an army convoy, guide such an operation from afar or be the strike team that executes it on the ground.

‘As you will realize, being the attacker is the easiest part. Being the planner, the one who masterminds one operation after another while being anonymous and undetected, is the important and difficult part. We need such men in India,’ Abu-Lakhvi elaborated.

‘The five of you will be able to stay in India comfortably as you are Indians. Assume Hindu identities to stay off the radar. Then, lay the trap and procure the necessary resources, such as weapons, to execute the operation, say from Kashmir or Nepal. When your preparations are done, we will send you the strike team, the fidayeen to execute the operation. The fidayeen will take instructions from you, and you may be required to be at ground zero to ensure all goes well.