Abbas told Shekhar, ‘We came to India last month, on 1 June, from Karachi to deliver RDX and bomb-making materials to Salim. His job was to help us settle down here so that we can do some “bada” action whenever Babaji sends us the instructions.’

‘How was he planning to settle you here?’ Shekhar asked.

‘He had been told to find a safe, spacious but shabby-looking establishment to host infiltrators like us. He took the poultry farm on lease to avoid attracting any attention. As part of the planned building-up of our cover profiles, Salim was planning to procure a second-hand fishing trawler for me and a PCO booth for Jehangir.’

‘What about the plan to bomb the Ganesh Chaturthi procession?’

‘We know about it, he kept us in the loop. But he is too proud to take our help. Also, this project was assigned to him by Babaji, and he wants to carry it out on his own, spectacularly,’ Jehangir explained.

‘As Salim said once, his project will fill the streets with bodies,’ Abbas added.

Shekhar could not tell if Abbas felt anything about Salim’s wish. Or was it that he felt left out of the ‘project’ and was envious of Salim?

14. A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH

14

A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH

The text message that Shekhar received that night was a one-liner: Meet at 7 a.m., Office of Operations Chief.

CTC’s operations wing’s headquarters were located in an unmarked British-era mansion in Delhi with manicured gardens and a patch of woods, also home to a family of peacocks. Shekhar would have to skip his morning jog to make it on time for the meeting.

Shekhar wondered why the meeting had been called. He guessed it must be about the preparations to ensure that the Independence Day celebrations took place peacefully. As per custom, the prime minister would be addressing the country on the occasion from the ramparts of the Mughal-era Red Fort, with its impregnable walls, perfect arches and maze of dark, damp tunnels and chambers.

When Shekhar was ushered into the chief’s office at 6.55 a.m., he was surprised to find three other officers present, who he knew were senior CTC officers. The chief usually met his officers one-on-one. Shekhar felt a rush of adrenaline, expecting a challenging assignment.

‘Gentlemen, you are aware of the neutralization of an LeT sleeper cell that was being run by Salim Khwaja Amjad in Hyderabad. As you must have figured out by now, Salim is no ordinary Pakistani terrorist. He came to India to never leave,’ the chief began the meeting, direct and to the point. He was a busy man and had no time for elaborate speeches.

‘There are several others like Salim, all Pakistani Lashkar terrorists, who are deepening their roots in our towns and cities as we speak. They will have to be identified and neutralized. Our team is taking care of that,’ he said.