BEAUTY OF TRICOLOR

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'

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