Calling Sehmat Read online

  Hidayat Khan had a long talk with his daughter in the study the next day. He talked at length about his love for the country and how he had managed to set up the network which now needed someone to take over. He explained how he couldn’t trust anyone other than her. Sehmat watched the emotions come and go on her father’s face. She could literally feel the pain he was going through, and she understood the gravity of what he had handed over to her. How could she let him down? How could she walk away from this? She would be risking the entire operation if she defied the ground rules. Her family’s honour was at stake. She would have to make the supreme sacrifice and, without looking back, bury the memories of her true love in the sands of time. That was how it would be, and she had to decide very quickly.

  Sehmat took the entire day to think about her decision. Her parents did not disturb her or try to influence her but there was anticipation in their eyes. She was restless during the night too. The next morning, Sehmat made her way downstairs to tell her parents of her decision. Instead of servants of the house attending to their chores, she was met by neighbours and friends of the family assembled in the drawing room. For a moment she was disoriented. With a sinking feeling, she rushed to her parents’ room. There she saw Tej kneeling by Hidayat’s side, weeping softly. Hidayat was lying on his usual side of the bed, with his eyes closed.

  Fearing the worst, Sehmat quickly reached her father’s side. Sensing what her daughter was thinking, Tej shook her head. ‘He suddenly developed a complication this morning. The doctor has been in to see him and has administered some injections. He needs to rest,’ she whispered. Something was different about Sehmat today. There was no trace of tears on the young woman’s face whose life had taken such a drastic turn, without being given a chance to react or recover.

  Later, Sehmat talked about her decision. She would do as expected—get married three months later—but not before making a trip to Delhi. Her parents were relieved but also worried for her. With a heavy heart they let her go to Delhi, one last time.

  The first person Sehmat met was her soulmate. Aby listened to her in shock and bewilderment as she outlined her destiny. Sehmat trusted him completely and, against the strict advice of Mir, unveiled the reasons and secret behind her hurriedly planned marriage to the Pakistani Captain. ‘My father has sacrificed himself for our nation, Aby, and the least I can do is give him peace as he approaches the last phase of his life. Besides, it would be an honour to be able to serve our motherland,’ she said, talking about her decision.

  Aby wasn’t convinced. Not only was he going to lose Sehmat to another man, he also foresaw serious consequences to her personal safety. ‘Do you realize that you are not cut out for such a dangerous operation? Are you even remotely aware of how spies are treated if they are caught?’

  Sehmat did not respond. She saw the unbearable pain he felt in his eyes. Since she had decided to be betrothed to another man, she was honour-bound to end her relationship with Aby. But her heart was not responding. It was instead revolting, forcing Sehmat to merge with Aby’s soul. For the second time in her life, she allowed herself to be led by her emotions. Moving closer to Aby, she whispered, ‘Please hold me in your arms. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. I’ll live with the memories of your love for the rest of my life.’

  Their faces streamed with tears as they clung to each other. Aby was finding it hard to breathe. He could not imagine his life without Sehmat. Her tinkling laughter, her smile and her sweet fragrance were engraved in every pore of his being. But now he had to let go. He looked into her eyes and said, ‘I have loved you, Princess. I always will. Remember, I am here for you. All you need to do is reach out to me. And no matter what, I’ll be there.’

  Sehmat nodded through her tears. Scared that another moment with him would weaken her, she pulled away gently, wiped her tears and walked away from his life, and hers too.

  8

  Hidayat passed away a month later. He died as he had wished, watching the tricolour fluttering in the gentle breeze, his wife and daughter by his side.

  In a short span of time, Sehmat lost the only two men she had ever loved. She was drained of all emotions. What mattered now was only her mission, to make her father and the country proud.

  Sehmat spent the next one month inside the Red Fort in the heart of the capital, where she underwent intensive twelve-hour training at the hands of intelligence officers. The agents, hand-picked by Mir, trained Sehmat in the art of setting up and using micro listening devices for the first two weeks. The second half of the month was even more gruelling, as she learnt to physically handle small arms, explosives and detonators.

  Sehmat displayed an amazing and uncanny knack for espionage techniques and worked extra hard so as to exhaust herself by the end of each day. However, she failed to remove Aby’s picture from her mind and spent hours poring over her scrapbook. Those were the only moments that made her emotional. By the time her training came to an end, she had become an expert on numerous spying techniques. When Mir met her at the end of the month, he looked at her proudly. The girl was her father’s daughter all right.

  A month later, Sehmat was married to Captain Iqbal Sayeed of the Pakistani Light Infantry at Lahore. Iqbal’s father, Sheikh Sayeed, was a serving Brigadier in the same branch and was known to be close to the top brass. He had very carefully cultivated friends in high places as he had climbed up the military ladder. Shrewd and calculating, he’d even gone to the extent of getting his elder son, Major Mehboob Sayeed, married to the daughter of an Army General. This in turn ensured that the Brigadier was favoured during the crucial promotion period. Given the Pakistani army’s penchant for martial laws, its Generals were known to value personal loyalties over rule books, codes and ethics.

  Even though Brigadier Sayeed was mediocre in strategic planning, he made up for it by being smart and quick on the uptake. He understood the fact that those who displayed brilliance also posed bigger threats to the top brass and were therefore quickly sidelined. To save his skin, he preferred to play the role of a ‘yes man’. Whenever summoned for advice, he first researched what his superiors wished to hear and then advised accordingly.

  He and Hidayat Khan had studied together at Lahore College and were close friends. Post Partition, Sayeed had helped Hidayat expand his business. In turn, Hidayat had assisted Sayeed in arranging expensive liquor and fancy gifts for senior army officials in his parties. Marrying his son to an Indian girl was a risk, but such was Sayeed’s influence in the army that Hidayat was sure of him overcoming any consequent problems. Sayeed had another reason to be happy. He had an eye on Hidayat’s business empire of which Sehmat was the only heir.

  Mir knew that Sehmat would be safe with the Sayeeds. He also saw a bigger role emerging for the Indian intelligence. He had failed in persuading Hidayat to withdraw Sehmat from this dangerous course, so he took it upon himself to ensure the safety of his friend’s daughter. He deputed his most trusted and efficient officers in the Indian Embassy at Islamabad and spread his network around Sehmat to provide her with an alternate escape route as and when the situation demanded.

  After the wedding ceremonies, Sehmat settled into the new environment quickly. It was important for her to overcome her past and focus on her assignment. The open and friendly atmosphere at the Sayeeds’ distracted her from the memories of Aby to an extent. But at the same time, she found it difficult to adjust to the very thought of living in an alien land that was becoming more hostile to her own country with every passing day.

  Unlike most Pakistani families that lived behind the conservative walls of a religious mindset, the Sayeeds had a modern outlook. Their women could speak up in front of male members and were free to make significant decisions on important issues. Almost every male member of the family was either serving in or had retired from the Pakistani army. Consequently, they enjoyed enormous political clout. It soon became obvious to Sehmat that the Sayeeds were more feared than respected in the social circles they moved in.

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bsp; Sehmat lost no time in acquainting herself with the traditions and customs of her new household. As a quiet observer, she made mental notes about the family, its dynamics and internal politics. Being the youngest daughter-in-law, she was showered with love and attention by all the family members and servants, which helped Sehmat establish her own identity and position in the household. The Sayeeds appreciated the fact that despite her personal loss, Sehmat was only spreading good cheer all round. She was always smiling no matter how heavy her chores were.

  Sehmat soon earned the confidence of the men of the family on the business front as well. While conducting her first business meeting, she not only showed maturity but also skilfully negotiated the deal, leaving both her husband and father-in-law in complete awe. A large shipment of spices belonging to an importer was confiscated at the Karachi Port. Unable to pay the high penalty, the importer refused to pick up the consignment. Sehmat made agreements with a few buyers at a profit and paid for the entire consignment. This brought a windfall profit to the Sayeeds’ home. With good money pouring in, Brigadier Sayeed began to look up to Sehmat for advice on various issues, including his own official ones.

  Sehmat remained diligently focused, in spite of the smooth sailing. At every opportunity, she searched for safe locations to instal her listening devices. Two large photo frames in her father-in-law’s room were her favourite and most important spots. Each afternoon, while the men were at work and the women napping, Sehmat painstakingly and meticulously mounted the tiny pieces of equipment and concealed them the way she was taught. These devices could then be controlled by her from the safety of her bathroom through a portable unit.

  The bathroom soon doubled up as an operations room from where she could send an SOS message or even make an emergency call. Using microscopic headphones, she also became a mute listener to the meetings that the Brigadier held at the haveli with his deputies.

  Though Mir had categorically warned her from doing so, she went on to instal and commission the Morse code equipment and, under the cover of the running water, transferred vital messages to the other side of the border.

  She gave no reason for anyone to suspect her activities. With her charm, love, openness and friendly behaviour she had won the hearts of the Sayeeds. The only fly in the ointment was the elderly Abdul, a servant of the Sayeeds who had served them for over twenty years. Behind his thick grey beard and wrinkled face, Abdul had a set of piercing eyes that missed little. Abdul did not trust Sehmat. Even though she tried, Sehmat could not win his trust and confidence, which made her extra cautious all the time.

  Abdul served the Sayeeds with fanatic loyalty. He had come to be treated as a member of the family from an ordinary household servant. On one occasion, he had risked his life to safeguard that of his master’s. A snake had attacked the Brigadier while he was taking his morning walk on the front lawns. Abdul had then shown exemplary bravery in picking up the reptile and tossing it away, but not before getting bitten by the venomous snake. Abdul had survived the attack but the Sayeeds carried the debt of gratitude on their conscience and treated him as a respected elderly member of the family.

  Abdul had nurtured in his heart an irrevocable hatred for all Indians. And he had his reasons. Post Partition, while he had managed to escape to Pakistan, his entire family had been slaughtered in front of his eyes during the Hindu-Muslim riots. Having unsuccessfully voiced his opposition to Captain Iqbal’s marriage to Sehmat, Abdul could never bring himself to repose faith in the new bride.

  The Sayeeds were aware of Abdul’s deep scars and his prejudice against Indians. He held the entire nation guilty for an act of violence that had made him understandably bitter. But the Sayeeds had hoped to erase his painful memories. In the bubbly, innocent and fun-loving Sehmat, they were sure that they had the right prescription to heal his wounds. Sehmat too looked forward to an opportunity to remove some of the bitterness in his heart, and also win his trust.

  Her first chance came during the annual inspection of units under the command of her father-in-law. Amir Khan, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), was known for his ruthlessness. He wasn’t a man to cross swords with. Since the GOC was in the last leg of his long service, his high-handedness and haughtiness had reached its peak. For Brigadier Sayeed, it was time to press all buttons to ensure that his units met with the highest standards.

  Pacing up and down the lawns of his palatial haveli, a nervous Sayeed was at his wits’ end thinking of various ways to appease the GOC. Sehmat, who had been observing her father-in-law’s quandary, saw a golden opportunity to prove herself worthy of his confidence and trust.

  On the pretext of going to the Jama Masjid, a public mosque some distance from their house, Sehmat covered herself with a burka, got into her car and drove away. Before entering the mosque, she slipped into a telephone booth and hurriedly dialled a number she was made to memorize as part of her impromptu training by Mir.

  ‘Yes,’ came a sharp voice from the other side.

  ‘This is Romeo 221022 Zulu. Lieutenant General Amir Khan, GOC Light Infantry. Urgently need complete details, family background, hobbies and weaknesses. Shall call tomorrow.’ There was a momentary silence at the other end. Sehmat instinctively knew that she had taken the First Secretary by surprise. The recognition and recovery on the other side, however, was quick. ‘Okay,’ came the short reply.

  Sehmat replaced the receiver and picked it up instantly. She dialled a dummy number to ensure that her call could not be traced and placed back the receiver. During her short training, Mir had repeatedly impressed upon her not to leave anything that could be traced back.

  Sehmat went back to a different telephone booth the next day and was soon smiling under her burka as she heard the brief on Amir Khan. ‘Thanks,’ she said softly as she replaced the handset and repeated the drill. She then drove straight to her husband’s office and, dismissing the guards with cheerful smiles, perched herself on the thickly cushioned green sofa.

  Captain Iqbal Sayeed was issuing instructions to his men when he was informed of his wife’s arrival. Amazed and somewhat shocked, he rushed to his office to find Sehmat closely observing the map on the wall and encircling landmarks in red ink.

  ‘What are you doing here at this hour of the day, Sehmat? And why are you messing with this map? This is no time for jokes, you know. The GOC is inspecting units in fifteen days and I have no time to even breathe. Abba Huzoor will be very angry if he comes to know about your surprise visit in such a time of emergency.’

  ‘I am going to meet Abba Huzoor, but wanted to see this map before I did. So will you please drive me to him right now?’ There was a soft cajoling play to her voice as she drew imaginary circles on the thick leather of the sofa with her long shapely fingers.

  Iqbal was speechless. What could his wife possibly want to say to his father that apparently couldn’t wait? She knew too well that the Brigadier was tense and in ill humour and yet she was trying this stunt. But before he could say anything to her, Sehmat had already left the office and was opening the door of Iqbal’s car which was parked in the driveway, while simultaneously ordering the driver to take her to Brigadier Sayeed’s office.

  Iqbal barely managed to sit inside the car as it sped to its new destination. And before the confused and visibly shaken husband could start with his round of rapid-fire questions, the car came to a halt at Sayeed’s office.

  Sehmat, who was without a burka by now, kept herself a pace ahead of Iqbal. Bowing slightly and gently, acknowledging the salutes of the amused guards, she stood at her father-in-law’s office door and knocked softly.

  ‘Abba Huzoor, hum andar aa jaain? [Respected father, may I come in?]’

  There were about fifteen officers seated around the table who instantly stood up and smiled at Sehmat. Her unexpected presence had added colour to the dull and drab room. The Brigadier wasn’t pleased though, and, with great effort, stopped himself from snapping at his daughter-in-law.

  ‘Of course, please come in.
It is indeed a pleasure to see you. I hope all’s well?’ he said and simultaneously gave a hard stare to Iqbal who tried his best to wear a not-guilty look and feigned ignorance. Escorting Sehmat to the sofa, he turned towards his officers who quickly scrambled away from the room after exchanging pleasantries.

  Holding her father-in-law by his arm, Sehmat walked him to the wall that had a large-scale military map. ‘This is where the inspection will begin and end, Abba Huzoor,’ began Sehmat with confidence and poise, pointing her finger at the lake site earmarked on the map. The Brigadier listened to her in complete silence for the next half hour. As she began to reveal her ideas, his tense face began to relax.

  Escorting her back to the car, he said, ‘I had heard that brides bring luck to their in-laws. I am more than convinced of that now.’ Iqbal could only marvel at his wife’s intelligence and guts. She had not only come up with an amazing plan, but also had the nerve to barge into his father’s office unannounced and get away unscathed.

  For the next two weeks, Sehmat and the Sayeeds’ trusted servant, Abdul, carried fish feed to the lake and dropped it at a particular point. While the rest of the family wondered what was going on, Sehmat smiled under her breath and waited for the final day.

  On the day of the inspection, the GOC, along with the guard of honour, was walking back with his deputy when the Brigadier, as instructed by his new tutor Sehmat, made his move. ‘Sir, we have made a slight change in the drill. Tea with officers is being held at the lake site in order to give you a picturesque view of the core headquarters.’

  ‘But why did you do that, and why did you not inform me before?’ roared the GOC.

  ‘Sir, the men felt that with your vision, foresight and ideas, the unit could go a long way in terms of future planning. They were sure that you could see what we all can’t and wanted you to have a macro view of the entire establishment. Besides, Sir, I happened to notice that the lake is loaded with possibly the finest fish waiting to be hooked. If you like, maybe you could spend some time fishing, while the officers assemble at the lake site?’ suggested Sayeed.