The Zero-Cost Mission/The Wily Agent

by Amar Bhushan

  For the next four months, Rehman was at his productive best. He passed on dozens of classified cables and regularly met Kabir. Jeev was able to pay him six hundred and fifty dollars a month following an in-house manipulation of service funds. However, there was no let up in the greed of the source for more. In one meeting with Kabir, Rehman demanded a thousand dollars to bribe his way through to the Pakistan desk. Since Jeev did not want to lose the opportunity, he arranged for the payment without obtaining approval from headquarters and sent the bill to Aroop after posting the expenditure under a different operation for reimbursement.

  Rehman’s plan worked out perfectly. He was first moved to the Southeast Asia desk and a month later, he was shifted to the Pakistan desk.

  The change of desk resulted in a quantum jump in the quality of Rehman’s inputs. In the very first consignment of six cables, he submitted reports on Dhaka’s concern over the finances provided by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence to politicians and to train Kashmiri militants in Bangladesh. This was followed by the submission of critical information on security, economic and strategic matters. The source even started forwarding original cables to allay all suspicions about his bona fides. Within two weeks, approvals for all ad hoc payments billed so far by Jeev were received. The source’s salary was also raised to five hundred dollars, although that was still a hundred and fifty dollars short of what Jeev had been paying. A week later, when Rajamohan called to get an update on another operation, Jeev raised the issue of Rehman’s salary. Within a few days, the full amount of six hundred and fifty dollars was sanctioned as Rehman’s salary and all his arrears cleared. Finally, everything seemed to be falling into place.

  But Jeev was still apprehensive, for his luck rarely lasted beyond a few months.

  It was a traumatic day for Kabir. He went for his daily morning walk, had an early breakfast and left for the airport to drop off his son who had come to Dhaka to spend his mid-term vacation. From there, he proceeded straight to drop boxes 3 and 5, which were to be cleared around 11.30 a.m. as per the schedule. Surprisingly, both were empty. The typed sheet listing out points for the source to cover, which Kabir had left a week ago, was still in drop box 5, untouched. Apparently, the source had not visited these drop boxes. A little worried, Kabir rang up the source from a public booth on a previously assigned number, but there was no response. Then he called a contact in the telephone exchange, who told him that the number was no longer in service. In a panic, Kabir tried an emergency number, which was of a distant cousin of the source. The cousin told Kabir that he had not seen Rehman for quite some time.

  With no prospect of contacting the source, Kabir rushed to the office and broke the news to Jeev.

  ‘I suggest you go to his house discreetly tonight and find out what has happened,’ Jeev said.

  ‘Sir, do you think it is advisable to go alone under these circumstances?’ Kabir asked.

  ‘We have no choice. One of us has to go.’

  ‘Okay, sir. I will ask one of my local contacts to position himself in the area and keep a watch on all suspicious movements. He will inform you in case I am lifted by the CEU.’

  ‘That situation will not arise,’ Jeev reassured him. ‘And don’t forget to carry some money. It may come in handy in bribing your way out of tricky circumstances.’

  At 9.30 that night, an anxious Kabir rang the doorbell of Rehman’s house. Rubeiya opened the door and was surprised to see Kabir and his wife standing there. She greeted them warmly and invited them in.

  ‘I’m afraid my husband won’t be able to join us. He has a terrible viral infection and has been lying sick for the past two weeks. He hasn’t even been able to go to the office this week,’ Rubeiya said apologetically.

  Kabir felt an immense wave of relief wash over him. Rehman was not compromised.

  ‘May I see him for a few minutes?’ Kabir asked, feigning concern.

  ‘Of course,’ Rubeiya said and led Kabir to their bedroom. She left him there and returned to keep Kabir’s wife company.

  Rehman was sitting in a cane chair, looking frail.

  ‘What a surprise! I knew you would be restless to see me but to this extent?’ the source said feebly, smiling. ‘Why don’t you pull up that chair?’ He paused as Kabir sat down in the chair indicated. ‘Rubeiya must have told you that I’ve been unwell. Initially, I was able to go to the office. In fact, last Tuesday evening I attempted to drop off a report on my way back home from work, but there were too many people loitering near drop box 2 in Dhanmandi Lake Park. The next day, I attempted to deposit the cables during my lunch break, but once again I was unable to, this time because I thought watchers were following me.’ He paused again to catch his breath. ‘Since then, I have not been able to move from the house. From now on, I will use drop boxes 5 and 9 most of the time.’

  ‘I hope you are not confusing watchers with regular walkers in the park,’ Kabir ventured.

  ‘No. I know for sure that they were from the Special Branch,’ Rehman asserted.

  ‘In that case we can stop meeting for a few weeks. On my way to your house, I kept a careful lookout to see if I was being followed. But there was no one. If you are under active surveillance, why wouldn’t the CEU watch over your house?’

  ‘I really don’t know,’ Rehman said.

  Kabir decided to drop the topic as Rehman was beginning to look exhausted. Their conversation moved to more general matters. Inevitably, Rehman brought up Jeev’s unfriendly attitude, his miserliness and his inability to make the best use of Rehman’s operational reach. Kabir merely listened, wisely deciding against being drawn into a pointless discussion.

  Before leaving, Kabir gave Rehman a thousand dollars, clarifying that six hundred and fifty dollars was his salary and three hundred and fifty was for his contact in the foreign office.

  ‘Thank you, my contact will be relieved to get the money.’ Rehman stopped abruptly, overcome by a fit of coughing. Finally recovering, he continued, ‘I was wondering, would it be possible for your boss to make arrangements for my treatment in a good hospital in Calcutta?’

  ‘It’s a small favour and I see no reason why he will not help out one of our best assets.’ Kabir smiled.

  ‘I am not so sure. I really miss Mr Sohrab. He was always there when I needed him,’ Rehman said.

  ‘But if it is just a viral infection, why are you so worried?’ Kabir asked.

  ‘I went to see two doctors. Both gave a different prognosis. That is what is bothering me. I will send you all my medical papers in a few days. See what you can do,’ Rehman said.

  ‘Of course, no problem,’ Kabir responded.

  As he stood up to leave, Rehman asked Kabir to lift the mattress of his bed and take the two envelopes lying there. Kabir tucked them into the inside pocket of his jacket before leaving the room. He and his wife thanked Rubeiya for her hospitality and left. His local contact met them on the main road. He told Kabir that no one had followed them at any point of time. Kabir and his wife then got into a rickshaw to head back to their home. They had barely covered two hundred yards when a car swerved dangerously close to the rickshaw. As he leant out to shout at the driver, Kabir saw Jeev at the wheel. The latter asked him to get inside the car immediately. Before the rickshaw puller realized what was happening, Kabir thrust a hundred-taka note into his hand, hustled his wife out of the rickshaw and into the back seat of Jeev’s car before quickly jumping into the front passenger seat. He had barely shut the door when Jeev drove off.

  ‘What is Mula doing here?’ Jeev asked in surprise.

  ‘Sir, I felt that her presence would provide a good cover story, that we were paying a visit to enquire about a friend’s welfare. And if the worst happened, at least she would be able to inform you of what happened at Rehman’s place. I thought the NSI might spare her for being a diplomat’s wife,’ Kabir explained.

  ‘That may be smart thinking, but don’t involve her in any future errands. Anyway, what did he have to say about not submitt
ing reports?’

  ‘Sir, his no-show was a false alarm. He is actually very sick. But what brought you to the area at this odd hour?’ Kabir asked.

  ‘I had gone to buy some fruit,’ Jeev said and smiled. ‘Actually, I could sense that you were nervous and you were meeting the source only to ensure that I did not go there and get exposed. That’s why I decided to cover you, just in case you were caught and detained by the CEU.’

  ‘Sir, I don’t know why Rehman is so unhappy with you. He never tires of comparing you unfavourably with your counterpart in Wellington,’ Kabir said, taking advantage of his boss’s good mood.

  ‘Go and ask Aroop Das. He will give you the reason,’ Jeev quipped.

  By the time he dropped Kabir and Mula off and reached home it was 11.40 p.m.

  Things appeared to be back on track again. For the next thirteen weeks, the source submitted valuable information that Aroop lost no time in sharing with the government. Rajamohan was so happy that he sanctioned a thousand dollars as an incentive to the source and lauded Jeev for showing rare operational tenacity against all odds. He even called to say that he was looking forward to involving Jeev in far more important projects. Every report that Rehman submitted evoked commendation and the assurance of reward from headquarters. Jeev knew that such comments didn’t mean much and were usually made to pacify handling officers, but he was intrigued by Aroop’s sudden supportive attitude. When he checked with Barua, he was told that Aroop had gone on a month’s leave and in his absence, Barua had been authorized to put up papers directly to Rajamohan.

  ‘So, you are the one who has been manipulating the appreciation of our reports,’ Jeev remarked.

  ‘Partly, sir. I highlight the reportable points in the original cable and submit it to Rajamohan. He writes in the margin what is to be shared with the government and what is to be conveyed to you,’ Barua explained.

  ‘That’s an intelligent way of safeguarding your interests against Aroop’s pettiness.’

  Kabir, however, was a troubled man. Every time he met Rehman, he felt something was seriously wrong. The source was not his usual self. The duration of their meetings was becoming shorter. He did not want to go to a restaurant, avoided discussions and invariably left in a hurry after delivering cables. He neither explained his odd behaviour nor agreed to suspend working, even temporarily. He did not even talk about Jeev or payments. Kabir had a gut feeling that the relationship was heading for disaster, but when he shared his concerns with Jeev, the latter brushed aside his worries, arguing that Rehman was merely putting up an act to win Kabir over to his side.

  ‘This façade of being an ill-fated man living under the constant scrutiny of both the CEU and myself is merely to extract an extra pound of flesh. It’s a pattern that is typical of his behaviour. It’s nothing to worry about,’ Jeev maintained.

  ‘Sir, I’m not so sure about that. Can I set up a meeting between the two of you? Maybe you will be able to determine why there has been a change in his behaviour,’ Kabir suggested.

  ‘Ignore his theatrics. Simply meet him, collect his reports and leave,’ Jeev advised.

  ‘Sir, today when I mentioned that he had been rewarded with an incentive of a thousand dollars, he taunted me, asking whether you were paying him to buy his coffin,’ Kabir said.

  ‘He finds you friendly and he knows how to use you for his own ends.’

  ‘Sir, he is definitely in some kind of trouble. He looks anxious and edgy all the time and keeps repeating that he is under surveillance and may be apprehended any day.’

  ‘If that is the case, why doesn’t he either suspend working for us for some time or end the relationship? Can’t you see that his cables continue to flood in week after week and the frequency of reports from his contact in the foreign office has gone up manifold?’ Jeev pointed out.

  ‘Sir, maybe he can’t help playing with fire. Perhaps he can’t do without the money we pay him, and does not want to lose the extra income at any cost,’ Kabir argued.

  ‘Fine, then pace out your meetings and stop seeing him for a while. But assure him that he will be paid even if he fails or delays in providing us with cables and reports,’ Jeev suggested.

  The next meeting, however, took Kabir by complete surprise. Rehman looked cheerful and relaxed. He promptly agreed to go to Lemon Grass for Thai food. He told Kabir that he had spoken to a friend of his who worked for the CEU about his fears. The friend had reassured him that Rehman was not the subject of any of their investigations and had promised to alert him should there be anything in the offing.

  ‘Did his friend ask him why he was suspicious?’ Jeev asked when Kabir reported to him on his meeting.

  ‘Rehman told him that he couldn’t figure out why the same two persons followed him from the office to his home every evening. His friend explained that the CEU routinely follows employees who work in the top-secret branches of government departments. Since there is an acute shortage of staff, the target of surveillance keeps changing every month. It’s possible that the cipher section is currently their target,’ Kabir explained.

  ‘So, is he comfortable now?’ Jeev asked.

  ‘Yes, sir. I told Rehman that you would be relieved to hear that he had a contact in CEU, since you worry about his safety. I also told him that he would be paid even if he did not submit a report because you did not want to lose him at any cost.’

  ‘What was his reaction?’

  ‘It wasn’t charitable. He said he didn’t believe that you could either be generous or have concern for other’s problems and asked me to tell you that you need not lose sleep over his safety. He once again asked for a hike in his salary but didn’t specify the amount.’

  ‘Anything else?’ Jeev asked.

  ‘He wants to discuss the foreign office contact with you. He said that Samad was now willing to work as a listed source on a regular salary and that we should run him independently rather than use Rehman as courier.’

  ‘So, Samad is his man in the foreign office. I think I met him some time ago at a reception hosted by the foreign minister. Ask Rehman to set up my meeting with him as early as possible,’ Jeev said. ‘Has he recovered fully from his illness?’

  ‘Yes, sir. For once he was thankful to you; he said that the medicines you got him from Calcutta were a big help.’

  The following week, Kabir tried numerous times to get in touch with Rehman to fix a date for Jeevnathan’s meeting, but had no luck. All the source’s phone numbers had either been disconnected or deliberately changed. In desperation, Kabir called him at his residence. The operator informed him that all lines in that area were under repair, following the previous night’s heavy rains. Next, he went to check the drop boxes, ignoring the mutually agreed upon timings of their clearance. In the drop box behind the Balaka cinema hall, he retrieved a piece of paper on which someone had scribbled:

  ‘See me at the Grand Mosque at 7.00 p.m. sharp on Monday. I have something very important to deliver.’

  The writing was not in Rehman’s hand.

  Kabir showed the note to Jeev, who mulled over its implications.

  ‘Sir, I suspect the CEU has accessed this drop box and left the note for me to pick up. It is possible that the watchers even saw me today when I accessed the box. For all we know, Rehman could have been standing by their side,’ Kabir speculated.

  ‘Were you followed at any time during your trip to the drop box?’

  ‘No, sir, I saw nothing unusual.’

  ‘Then why do you suspect that someone may have seen you clearing the drop box?’ Jeev asked.

  ‘It’s the handwriting that worries me, sir. The CEU may be luring me to the Grand Mosque so that they can apprehend me while receiving classified papers from the source. They may have identified me, but since that will not suffice as conclusive evidence to declare me persona non grata, they are laying a trap to catch me in the act of physically obtaining documents. That will help them seal a case of espionage against Rehman and ensure that I am sent home f
or being his accomplice.’

  ‘So, what do you think we should do?’

  ‘To avoid falling into this trap, we should ignore this message,’ Kabir suggested.

  But Jeev thought otherwise. ‘I think you should meet him at the mosque. We have to ascertain whether Rehman exposed the drop box during an interrogation or if watchers stumbled on it accidentally,’ Jeev said.

  ‘Sir, if I go ahead with the meeting, I will surely be arrested and expelled,’ Kabir said, the worry clear in his voice.

  ‘That’s a risk you should be willing to take. I will, however, ensure that they do not detain you for more than an hour and that you are assigned to a better station, with virtually no work,’ Jeev said with a smile.

  ‘Sir, I have never been afraid for my personal safety, but the situation could be embarrassing for Delhi and for you in particular. The Bangladeshi media and government, and particularly the Nationalist Party and Jamaat, could launch a bitter campaign demanding an apology from Delhi for destabilizing a friendly government and insist on the immediate closure of our unit. Mr Aroop will surely grab this opportunity with both hands and have you withdrawn to headquarters prematurely,’ Kabir pointed out.

  ‘Don’t worry about that. The important issue now is to find out whether the source has been exposed, which we will only know if you keep the appointment.’

  Kabir realized that Jeev would not back down.

  ‘After your first meeting with him, which I remember was at the mosque, have you met him there again?’ Jeev enquired.

  ‘Yes, sir, but always on Fridays when it is choked with people. Also, the request to meet in the evening is unusual, as we have never met there at that time,’ Kabir said.

  ‘Where in the mosque do you generally meet?’

  ‘We first establish contact on the staircase to the mosque and then move elsewhere, usually to one of the restaurants in the Baitul Mukarram market, or under the covered area to the right of the main entrance gate, or to the adjoining lawn,’ Kabir explained.