Sehmat was the only child of Tejashwari Singh and Hidayat Khan, a

successful and rich Kashmiri businessman settled in the Valley for many

decades. Tej, as Tejashwari was fondly called, belonged to a rich Delhi-

based Punjabi Hindu family.

Hidayat and Tej fell in love during her visit to Srinagar. On a cold

winter afternoon Tej was walking around the serene surroundings of the

Himalayan paradise and, on an impulse, entered one of the boutiques

selling pashmina shawls. The beauty of the designs was such that they

pulled her towards themselves and soon she was looking through the

many that were displayed inside the shop. Tej was wondering what to

take back to Delhi for her friends, when a pleasant voice drew her

attention from behind.

‘May I help you?’

Turning around, Tej found herself looking into the light-brown eyes of

a stranger. He was tall, about an inch or two above six feet and wore an

off-white Pathani suit. She was struck by his openness and simplicity.

Smiling, Tej asked him about the famed Kashmiri shawls on display.

The man moved about the shop with a quiet authority, which made Tej

believe that he was the owner of the sprawling emporium. After selecting

a few delicately woven pashminas, Tej made for the cash counter to

settle her bills.

‘Are you visiting Kashmir for the first time, Ma’am?’ His voice was

now soft and inquiring.

She stopped to respond.

‘No, I have come here before and it is always peaceful and soothing,’

Tej replied, a slight smile playing on her lips. Wanting to hear more ofhis rich voice, Tej went on to tell him about her holiday and how she

loved the Valley.

Conversation between the two flowed easily. Soon, they introduced

themselves to each other. ‘I’m Hidayat,’ he said.

‘And I am Tejashwari. My friends call me Tej,’ she responded.

‘Can I call you Tej?’ he was quick to ask.

‘Please do,’ she replied, clutching her packet of shawls and moving

towards the payment counter. She glanced at the bill, looked at it again,

and then at Hidayat questioningly.

‘Can’t make profit from friends, can I? Hence the discount,’ he

responded smiling.

Hesitantly, Tej paid the money, thanked her host and headed for the

large door of the emporium. A slow warmth filled her heart as she

walked out. Somewhere deep inside, she was surprised that a brief

meeting with a complete stranger could arouse such strong feelings in

her. With a sinking heart, Tej realized that this could be the last time she

would see him or hear his alluring voice.

Hidayat stood at the door of his shop with a bemused expression on

his face. He could not hold himself back. He addressed her again, the

door chime tinkling in the background. ‘Can we meet in the evening? I

could take you to some interesting shops to select souvenirs to take back

home.’

Tej found her voice caught in her throat.

So this was not the last time she would meet him?

Silently, she nodded. Her heart was wildly beating as she walked

away. There was a strange excitement in her heart and a desire to meet

him again. She walked some distance, then stopped and turned back to

look at the boutique, only to find Hidayat still standing at the entrance,

waving at her. She lifted her hand in acknowledgement and moved on.

The melodious door chime was still ringing in her ears when she entered

her hotel.

That evening, Hidayat rushed through his daily chores of balancing

the shop accounts and locking up the emporium. He arrived at the hotel

well before sundown and found Tej reading a magazine in the plush hotel

lobby. That she was surprised to see him at the hotel was visible on herface. Knowing that her parents would not take kindly to a stranger taking

their daughter on a guided tour, she hurriedly went up to him and asked

him to wait while she convinced her parents about a short trip to the

marketplace by herself. She was able to do that and in a few minutes Tej

was back in the lobby, her face slightly flushed.

Slowly the two made their way to the marketplace. They took a

leisurely walk around the lake, dodging tourists. Their slow-paced walk

was often interrupted by locals who greeted Hidayat, some even asking

him for his advice on investing in business and personal matters. It

seemed strange to Tej that a man so young was so sought after by not

only those his age, but by older people as well. Tej realized that Hidayat

was not only respected but also loved by the folks in the city.

They spoke about mundane things at first. However, with each passing

minute they became more and more comfortable with each other and the

initial awkwardness disappeared. The sun was beginning to set and

knowing that it would soon be time for her to go back to the hotel, Tej

picked up a few scarves at random, paid for them, and they continued on

their way back. She knew she would have to show some kind of

purchase to her parents.

In the brief time they spent together, they exchanged much more than

conversation. Looking into Tej’s eyes, Hidayat could feel that she was

not indifferent towards him. His heart was crying out to confess his

feelings to her, but he did not want to scare her. Could he dare to tell her

how she had captured his heart when she had walked into his shop that

morning? Would he frighten her by his admission? What if she disliked

him?

Engrossed in conversation, they did not realize that they had walked a

long distance and left the marketplace behind. They were now at the far

end of the famed Dal Lake that lay blissfully placid, away from the

hustle and bustle of the shops. The sky had spread a riot of colours in

orange, pink and hues of purple. The trees around it stood like mute

witnesses to the beauty and beyond them stretched the hills. A chill in

the air added to the romance of the surroundings. Tej had visited

Kashmir several times before, but on this occasion, Hidayat seemed tohave transformed the lake into a poet’s romantic verse. When they

parted, they felt as if they were leaving something behind.

That night, as Tej prepared to go to bed, she replayed the day’s

incidents in her mind. She felt that she had connected with Hidayat at a

very special level. Not wanting to lose a friendship that had just begun,

she decided to request her parents to extend the vacation. The next

morning, over breakfast, Tej convinced her father to stay on in the Valley

for a few more days. Then, pleased with herself, she slipped out of the

hotel and quickly walked towards Hidayat’s shop as was agreed between

them the previous day. This was the first of their series of secret

rendezvous. When Tej’s vacation drew to an end, they exchanged

addresses, and Hidayat promised to visit her in Delhi.

It was difficult for them to stay apart, and Tej was overjoyed when she

received a letter from Hidayat informing her about his visit to the capital.

She began counting the days to his arrival.

Soon that day arrived and they met. From then on, the two met every

day and talked for many hours. Hidayat discussed his business and

Delhi’s fast-paced life compared to the idyllic and simple life in

Kashmir. When he left for the Valley, the bond with his lady-love had

strengthened. The two continued to exchange letters that seemingly

spoke of only the weather and other unimportant topics as each tried to

read the unsaid words between the lines and interpret them.

It was scorching hot in Delhi when Tej and her mother left for Kashmir

the following summer. This time around, Tej and Hidayat spent more

time with each other, sharing their dreams and aspirations. They had

known each other for a little longer than a year and words between them

flowed effortlessly, so did their feelings. But both kept quiet and avoided

the all-important issue as they were not sure how the other person would

react.

Kashmir was alive with colours and birdsong for the young couple.

Even Hidayat, who had lived most of his life in the Valley, began

admiring Kashmir through the eyes of a poet. The days passed swiftly,

and he realized that soon he would have to reveal his feelings. It had tbe now or never. So a week before she was due to leave, Hidayat took

her for a boat ride around Dal Lake. He was nervous, looking for the

right words as he rowed the boat. He looked at her and found her

admiring the view, oblivious to what was going on in his mind.

‘You love this place, don’t you?’ he asked.

She nodded. ‘I am sad that this vacation is coming to an end.’

‘How about staying here forever?’

Tej looked back at him questioningly.

He did not answer immediately. When he spoke, there was a quiver in

his voice, ‘I want you to stay. I love you and want to cherish our bond for

the rest of our lives. Tej, I have loved you ever since you walked into my

shop last year. Please don’t misunderstand me. Have I scared you?’

Not knowing what to say, Tej’s eyes were fixed on the wooden plank

at the bottom of the boat. She was stunned into silence.

Hidayat immediately began to feel guilty and wished he had not said

what he did. Panicking, he addressed her again, ‘Have I said something

to upset you? Please don’t be angry. It’s just that I have never felt

anything like this before! Please don’t misunderstand my motives. I just

know I love you.’

Tej looked into his eyes. Somewhere deep inside she had felt the same

attraction and was happy that he finally spoke about his feelings.

Clearing her throat, she whispered softly, ‘I feel the same way too . . .’

Her face turned pink as she blushed, shyly smiling.

It took a lot of self-control on Hidayat’s part not to whoop with joy.

Instead he looked at her, his face filled with expressions of joy and relief.

Taking her hands and clasping them in his, he said, ‘Thank you, Tej, for

filling my heart with such love!’ Tej could only smile in return. She had

also begun to worry by then. Being the only child, her parents had

pinned lots of hopes on her and had been looking for a suitable match.

She was aware of how her parents were focused on finding a match only

from the Punjabi community. And here she was, courting a Muslim boy,

that too from a trouble-torn state like Kashmir.

Oblivious of the ensuing battle inside Tej’s mind, Hidayat rowed the

shikara with ease, enjoying the boat ride more than ever before. Each

time the oar cut the water at a perfect angle, it gently pushed the boatahead; the water droplets falling from the wooden blade back into the

lake. Seated in front of her, it was impossible to keep his eyes away from

Tej’s beautiful face. ‘I love you,’ he said repeatedly until Tej too

Their love blossomed and culminated in marriage, much against the

wishes of their families. Braving boycotts from both sides, the young

couple settled down to married life. Sehmat was born after two years and

brought along boundless joy, laughter and warmth to the already content

household. Conscious of the raised eyebrows due to their cross-cultural

alliance, both Tej and Hidayat worked hard to bring up their daughter,

teaching and instilling in her the real meaning of secularism.

Being educated and sensible, Hidayat and Tej kept themselves away

from undue religious influences and dictates. Neither parent forced any

religion on their daughter. Instead, they encouraged her to understand

different faiths and appreciate the importance of humanity, integrity,

patriotism and honour.

Sehmat grew up watching her parents practise two different religions

yet live in complete harmony under the same roof. Neither infringed on

the other’s choice of religious duties. The room set aside for prayers and

meditation had pictures of Mecca, Hindu gods and goddesses as well as

other saints and sufis. Sehmat was particularly fascinated by Meerabai’s

hymns and often joined her mother in singing them.

‘God is one,’ her parents told her repeatedly. ‘And He is not someone

who can be summoned by merely holding the Holy Quran and Gita or

wearing a tilak on the forehead. He is without a predefined form and

resides inside you. He is omnipresent and can only be seen by the purity

of one’s mind and heart.’ Little did she realize at that time that these very

values would make her one of the most respected and trusted citizens of the countrySehmat was greatly influenced by her father. Hidayat’s generosity and

positive thinking were legendary in Srinagar. One particular trait of her

father, which not only appealed to her but also made her want to emulate

him, was his undying love for his watan, his country, India. Father and

daughter would go on long walks amidst huge chinar trees, one of their

most cherished pastimes. Sehmat would listen to her father with rapt

attention as they would trek on the narrow pathways in the Valley and

learn by heart lessons on patriotism, culture and traditions.

It was during one of those walks that Hidayat, totally consumed by

what he was teaching her, stopped abruptly, took her hands in his and

said in a voice wrought with emotion, ‘We are what we are thanks to our

motherland, Sehmat. Nothing can be more disgraceful than to be disloyal

to her. I was born here and I must give my best to this soil. When I

merge into it, my conscience should be proud of having lived an honest,

faithful and grateful life.’

That evening the young Sehmat saw a different Hidayat. She met a

man who was passionate and emotive beyond her imagination and

respected humanity more than any religion on earth. For the first time in

her life she understood what watan really meant to him. This observation

was to play a crucial part in her life in the years to come.

As she grew up, Sehmat learnt of her father’s role in easing tensions

between Hindus and Muslims and his efforts towards spreading harmony

between the communities. Hidayat was the final word in settling disputes

and conflicts and would always help those in real financial need. Many

Kashmiri Pandits would narrate to her incidents where Hidayat’s

intervention had helped in building bridges between followers of the two

faiths.

Thereafter higher education took Sehmat away from the Valley to

Delhi, where, besides pursuing her graduation and playing the violin in

her spare time, she also learnt Indian classical dance. When she would

return to Kashmir for a vacation, she would be regaled with more tales of

her father’s timely intervention and both communities’ indebtedness to

her family for spreading peace and harmony in the Valley. The number

of such stories increased each time Sehmat visited Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Hidayat’s reputation and goodwill as an honest and

upright businessman spread far and wide. He was an icon of sorts in the

region. His enterprise and large-heartedness catapulted him and his

business to the other side of the barbed wire, which, by virtue of the

demarcations made post Partition, was now called Pakistan. Hidayat

went across regularly to attend to his chores, and add more friends,

contracts and businesses to his strength, blissfully unaware that his

actions were being closely monitored far away in a plush office in the

capital of India. This was the Indian intelligence agency RAW (Research

and Analysis Wing). Some senior officials approached him and sought

his help to establish an information-gathering network inside Pakistan.

Apart from his extensive network, it was Hidayat’s legendary love and

devotion towards his country that made him an ideal candidate for the

purpose. His flourishing business establishments across the border could

provide the perfect foil needed for their operations.

Hidayat readily agreed to the proposal even though he was made

aware of the risks that his acceptance could invite. He even went a step

further by suggesting innovative ideas for gathering information. His

merchandise, especially liquor, used to be shipped across the border due

to the prevailing prohibition in Pakistan. He proposed to decrease the

quantity of each shipment but increase the frequency, thus helping

reduce the time gap in retrieving information from across the border.

Using his business acumen, he painstakingly spread his network into the

cities of Lahore, Islamabad and Multan, and also made inroads into the

Pakistani army brass. During the 1965 Indo–Pak war, Hidayat’s network

became a major source of information gathering. Despite the

unsophisticated communication systems of those years, his trusted team

devised innovative techniques to transfer huge amounts of confidential

documents manually into India, thereby saving the lives of hundreds of

Indian soldiers.

While Pakistan experienced humiliating defeat at the hands of the

Indian armed forces in this war, Hidayat won the heart and confidence of

the Indian government by rendering commendable services. Strangely,

he was able to maintain his credibility across the border too, and, despite

the defeat, the Pakistani government did not suspect his involvement.Growing from strength to strength, he further expanded his business

chain and deepened the penetration into Pakistani army camps by

strengthening the supply chain and providing free liquor to the Generals.

Prohibition across the border not only added to his profits, it also helped

grow his business.

The dawn of 1969, however, brought in its wake a rude shock for the

Khans. During a routine medical check-up, a lump in Hidayat’s neck was

diagnosed to be cancerous. Further investigations and tests revealed that

the deadly disease had spread its tentacles beyond control. Tej was

shattered by the news but Hidayat seemed unperturbed and indifferent to

the development. His mind was focused elsewhere.

Trouble was brewing in the army camps across the border. Hidayat

had been steadily receiving reports confirming that the other side was

planning a confrontation. He kept grumbling to Tej about how unhappy

he was with the bad timing of his ailment. Much to Tej’s consternation,

instead of paying attention to his failing health, Hidayat put all his

energies and efforts into accumulating data and transferring it to the

intelligence officers in India.

East Pakistan had by then become a sore point for Pakistan. Egged on

by misguided warlords with vested interests, Pakistan’s leadership

accused India of fomenting trouble in the state. Tej was privy to the new

developments, having herself transferred vital information to New Delhi

on several occasions, but her husband’s indifference towards his illness

tormented her.

The very thought of losing Hidayat without making any efforts of

treating him medically weighed heavily on her mind. Besides this,

watching him in extreme pain unnerved her. Finally, Tej gathered the

courage to dial a contact in New Delhi. The government machinery

began to move quickly. Twenty-four hours later, when Hidayat walked

into his oak-panelled study after namaz, he found two immaculately

dressed officials waiting for him. Both men were high-ranking officials

from the Indian intelligence. Having interacted with them for many

years, Hidayat knew them well. Yet he was surprised by their visit.

Manav Chowdhary, code-named Mir, was the head of RAW. It was he

who had first approached Hidayat a decade ago for setting up theinformation-gathering network in Pakistan. Both men had grown to

admire and respect each other immensely.

The two men continued to look at each other, neither knowing how to

break the silence. It was Mir who finally broke the spell. He reached out

to Hidayat, clasped his hand in his own and looked at his old friend.

Anticipating the purpose of their visit and picking up on the unsaid

words, Hidayat glanced at his wife. He knew what she’d done. A soft

flush of guilt reflected on Tej’s face.

Mir’s voice shook slightly as he struggled to control his emotions.

Hidayat was not only an important link, he was a man of honour and a

dear friend.

‘We have arranged for appointments with doctors in America,

Hidayat,’ Mir began. ‘They will treat you and . . .’

Hidayat cut him short in a polite but firm voice. ‘I know my chances

of surviving this illness are nil, Mir. And you are also aware of a big

disaster that is approaching our nation even as we speak.’

Hidayat withdrew his hand from Mir’s, walked to the window and

pointed to an object in the distance. The other three in the room quickly

looked in that direction. Hidayat’s gaze went to the national flag that was

fluttering gently in the soft breeze in his neatly manicured lawn.

‘Mir, you see that beautiful tricolour? I want to see it flying high when

death comes knocking at my door. I have served my mother the best I

could and I wish to die in her lap, in my home and definitely not in a

foreign country. Let me fade into the corridors of history in peace, in the

oblivion of my country’s soil and not in an alien land. Besides, there is

still a whole lot to be done. While Tej can handle the operations from the

Indian side, someone very reliable has to take charge in Pakistan and

settle down in the grooves across the border before it’s too late. We have

little time for anything else, least of all, my health.’

Accepting a cup of tea from Tej, Mir looked at his friend. He knew

how important Hidayat was to RAW. He was also aware of the vacuum

Hidayat’s death would create; to find someone as credible as Hidayat on

such short notice was an impossible feat. He wanted Hidayat to get better

so he tried to push him further in the hope that he would go to the US for

treatment. ‘I’m afraid, Hidayat, we do not have anyone who can replaceyou. Besides, the Pakistanis would not trust anyone in a hurry. They’ll

smell a rat immediately. In your supervision the operation will remain

under the guise of your business umbrella. Even a small mistake at this

point would mean the end of the entire network that you have so

painstakingly built over so many years. It would also mean grave risks to

the lives of the numerous contacts, which we cannot afford at this stage.

It is best that we let the matter be put on hold while you go for your

treatment. You have done more than your share for the country. Now let

us help you fight your battle. I have spoken to the best doctors in the US

and they have suggested immediate surgery. We have an outside chance

and we must take it.’ Mir’s voice appeared steady but he could not hide

the strain of maintaining equanimity. He had worked closely with

Hidayat for so many years, they’d developed trust and friendship, and it

was hard to believe that he was dying.

Hidayat seemed oblivious to what Mir was saying and continued to be

in a different world. He also knew that his chances of surviving the

dreaded disease were slim. At the same time it was bothering him that

there was something brewing across the border. He wondered how he

could find a solution to all this. He had a distant look in his eyes, his

mind racing in circles, searching for a viable candidate to fill his shoes.

For years he had painstakingly toiled to build an effective

communications network, and he was simply not prepared to let it go

down the drain. A solution, however, came to him out of the blue.

Hidayat walked towards Tej. He placed his hands on her delicate

shoulders and looked into the depths of the eyes of the only woman he

had ever loved with so much intensity that it frightened her. Tej, terrified

of the consequences of his illness, also instinctively realized that Hidayat

had something up his sleeve that might not be to her liking.

Breaking the brief silence, Hidayat said, ‘I know it’s risky Tej, but it is

by taking chances that one becomes brave. You know the gravity of the

present situation as well as I do and you will therefore appreciate the

seriousness of what is developing in Pakistan. Having come so far, we

need to continue with our task and not stop in our efforts to thwart their

plans. My illness has come as a cruel shock but we have an even bigger

crisis at hand. We can still save hundreds of innocent lives. And toachieve that, we need someone absolutely reliable who can take my

place immediately, without rousing suspicion in the enemy camps;

someone who can take the baton from me and continue the good work.’

As Hidayat paused for breath, Tej could see that he was struggling

with his conscience. Her chest suddenly constricted and her heartbeat

quickened. She was almost certain that her husband’s next sentence

would cause her endless pain. The tension in the room was tangible. Mir

sensed it too but was unable to even remotely fathom what Hidayat had

in his mind. He thus remained a mute spectator. Hidayat moved closer to

Tej with the intention of comforting her from the blow he was about to

deliver. In a soft, almost choked voice he said, ‘Do you think our Sehmat would fit the bill'