Given the potential of Birat Nagar as a springboard for entering India due to its proximity to the Moreng-Jogbani customs check point, LeT had set up at least five safehouses in that city, each of which had a caretaker-cum-local agent of the LeT.

‘What are we looking to do this time, janaab?’ Babar’s voice rang out after a while.

‘To break India’s backbone, to break the morale and pride of its army … Al-Wali will explain to you the details of the mission,’ Abu-Lakhvi said.

‘Babar, you will get the weapons from our safehouses in Nepal. Al-Wali will arrange for two of our own jihadis who will be taken to India by Imran,’ Abu-Lakhvi continued. By ‘own’ he meant Pakistani.

‘You can station yourself, as always, close to where the action will unfold,’ Abu-Lakhvi told Babar.

Listening to the conversation, Atharv had long since stopped eating. He was absorbing each and every word that was being spoken in the adjoining room. The excited, at times angry, words had filled Atharv’s heart with dark fears about what lay next for his motherland. As a trained counter-terror operative, the challenges that lay ahead in seeking to protect India from the designs of Abu-Lakhvi and Babar had also got his adrenaline flowing.

48. FIRST TARGET

48

FIRST TARGET

‘Bravery and wisdom, determination to win, and blood and steel – these are sublime ideals and principles that define how a life must be led for the greater good.

‘These mantras of a noble, chivalrous life seem so much like slices from our own lives and ideology. They befit us as we are the soldiers of the community and Pakistan and think nothing about sacrificing our lives for religion and the community,’ Al-Wali said.

He was addressing the two other men in the room, Babar and Atharv. Both had heard of each other but had yet to be introduced. The meeting was taking place in a six-bedroom flat on Arunodaya Street in central Birat Nagar. It was a day after Abu-Lakhvi had given Babar his new mission.

‘But these are the slogans of the Indian Army officers – even though they are contrary to what these high ideals of bravery, victory and wisdom embody,’ Al-Wali poured out hatred for India.

‘But we will show them. We will make the ISI and the Pakistani rulers proud of us and our accomplishments. This will happen once we succeed in our mission. The fidayeen of Lashkar-e-Taiba will strike at the Indian officers’ training headquarters, the Indian Military Academy, like a lightning bolt,’ Al-Wali declared, revealing the objective of their mission.

Atharv was stunned but tried to show no reaction.

‘But why the Indian Military Academy, in particular, janaab?’ Babar asked.