‘What all do we have?’ Atharv asked.

‘Four AK-47s, four IEDs, eight hand grenades each for the four fidayeen, four sets of Indian Army uniforms and four knives. And Rs 3 lakh in Indian currency, 20 per cent of which is fake.

‘Besides, you will be given a document that identifies you as the owner of a transport firm, Jai Ambe Tours and Travels, just in case you need this cover,’ Babar said.

A battered Qualis SUV was parked inside one of the garages attached to the safehouse. Babar first showed him the faux flooring inside the vehicle. Then the two moved some cartons to cover the floor. The cartons contained clothing and decorative items.

‘Tell the customs people if they ask that you have a transport firm in Dehradun and intend to sell these to your regular customers. You came to Kathmandu for an excursion but could not help splurging in Thamel’s irresistible shopping arcades,’ Babar said.

‘Gift sweaters to the border guards, if required. Once you enter India, say the same thing. If you get caught, stick to the story of being a covert supplier to criminal gangs in Dehradun,’ he added.

The two were joined by another man.

‘This is Sameer Gupta, he is our own man. It’s a cover name,’ Babar introduced the newcomer.

‘He is an expert driver, knows the terrain here, and will take you to Dehradun and stay with you through the mission. He is also one of the four fidayeen. He came earlier than the other three to help you with the reconnaissance,’ Babar said.

The two travellers, Sameer and Atharv, barely spoke during the two-day trip to Dehradun. What little conversation they had was limited to discussing the roads and byroads they should take to stay off the security radar. Atharv usually suggested that they take interior roads instead of main roads, while Sameer did not think much of either of the options. ‘We have no control over such things, brother. If something has to happen, it will,’ was his philosophical response. ‘Otherwise, highways and lanes are both equally safe or unsafe.’

Neither Atharv nor Sameer mentioned the IMA attack or how they needed to prepare for it. Sameer took the East–West Highway AH2 to reach the border checkpoint at Bhimdatta, 942 kilometres from Birat Nagar. Bhimdatta lay at the western edge of Nepal along the border with Uttarakhand, the Indian side of the border checkpoint being Banbasa.

After crossing into India, roughly twenty hours after they left Birat Nagar, the Qualis travelled another eight hours, and 342 kilometres, to finally reach Dehradun late on the second night. They drove straight to the IMA campus to do a blink-and-miss drive-by, then drove on to Prem Nagar, a major residential-cum-commercial enclave in Dehradun. There, they checked into the Happy Valley Hotel, which was plain but tidy and had a sprawling parking space at the back.