‘We are confident that with your hard work and immaculate planning, you will be able to manage it. Also, there is the mother of all big operations on the drawing board. I need you to recommend some good fidayeen, men who won’t bat an eyelid before the worst adversity and the biggest guns of the Indian commandos and the Indian Army. These fidayeen are to be our Pakistani operatives. It is for an operation on a scale that would befit the Ghazwa-e-Hind in India.’

‘You can count on me to do whatever is needed,’ said Babar.

‘Good. You will help us in instructing the fidayeen. For the commando and military training, we have experts. You will be required to teach these men the local Indian languages, like Hindi and Marathi, so that they can pass off as Indians. Also, tell them a little about the current situation in India, the backwardness of the Muslim community there and how they are being oppressed, the security situation there, among other topics.’

‘Ji janaab,’ said Babar.

‘It will be something similar to what you did last year, when you trained ten Pakistani fidayeen who went to help us in our jihad in Kashmir.

‘Another thing, Babar,’ Abu-Muzammil added. ‘You have to help a Mumbai-based operative who will come to meet you. His name is Shaukat Mirza. He needs four fidayeen and weapons for them. His task is to organize a fidayeen attack on a high-profile software professionals’ conference at the seaside five-star Hotel Samudra in south Mumbai. Imran and Shabbir can be used for the operation while Abu Saqlain can send two more men and weapons from Kashmir.’

‘Imran and Shabbir had dropped their AK-47s in a bush near the CRPF base attack site. I will send the duo to retrieve them and take them to Mumbai,’ said Babar.

‘Okay, may the Almighty grant you continued success,’ said Abu-Muzammil before hanging up.

Abu-Lakhvi’s and LeT’s ecstasy turned out to be short-lived, though. By the evening of 3 January, in a coordinated operation with the Nepalese authorities, the CTC nabbed the men who had carried out the deadly attack on the CRPF headquarters in Pilibhit.