‘Don’t lose heart. Be like a tiger. Even in the face of adversity, a tiger stays untamed, dangerous and a survivor,’ said Milind. ‘Never lose sight of the fact that even then the security of the mission is the only important thing, apart from your life, of course. So, do not admit anything, deny everything and divert the enemy.’

Shekhar looked at his watch and stood up. ‘Okay, boys, we are done for now. Thanks Milind! That was a fascinating peek into the shadowy, dark world of intelligence,’ he said, a smile on his face. ‘Now let’s go try the mutton biryani that awaits us in the dining hall. We meet again at 5 p.m., same place.’

When the boys returned to the hall at 5 p.m., they found Hussein waiting for them.

‘Hello, boys, come in, sit down. This evening’s lecture is about Arabic, the language of the Almighty and the religious language. So, just like Sanskrit is the religious language of Hinduism, classical Arabic is the religious language of Islam. Colloquial Arabic includes several spoken dialects, including those from Arabia and Iraq.

‘The language has lots of letters that require the use of guttural sounds. Its alphabet has twenty-eight letters,’ Hussein began explaining the rules of Arabic.

After their session with Hussein was over, Shekhar met the recruits one-on-one in his cabin. Atharv was the first to see him.

‘Atharv, I hope you liked the Arabic lesson? You will have the opportunity to learn the basics of the language through a short course,’ Shekhar said.

‘Well, Hussein sir is trying his best, but it is not easy for us. We are struggling. The phonetics, the characters are all different,’ Atharv said.

‘No language is easy, and Arabic developed in west Asia. Give it time.’

‘Yes, sir, I will work hard on mastering at least the basics.’

‘Good. But that is not why I wanted to meet all of you. Atharv, the time of reckoning has come. The five of you have been trained in the skills that you will require to battle for your country behind enemy lines. It will soon be time for you to be launched.’

Atharv’s eyes widened. Finally, the mission would begin.

‘Here, take this folder,’ Shekhar said, holding out a file. ‘It has the details of your cover identity, the assumed identity with which you will enter Pakistan to face the wily ISI and the dangerous LeT. Never underestimate their capabilities to destroy us, they are vile and deadly!’