The quiet, coastal city of Karachi was just starting to wake up under the soft glow of dawn.
Fishermen were preparing their boats, shopkeepers were setting up their stalls, and in a hidden compound on the outskirts of the city.
Colonel Tariq, one of ISI's most seasoned operatives, was finishing his morning routine.
Tariq had been moved here in haste.
ISI knew R&AW was closing in on its top handlers.
It was only a matter of time before they came for him, and yet Tariq, in his arrogance, believed he was untouchable.
His location was secure, the compound heavily fortified, and his guards were handpicked by ISI's best.
But he had underestimated Ajay Singh and his team.
Far away New Delhi, the mood was tense but determined.
The successful operations against Farooq and Arif had given R&AW the upper hand, but Colonel Tariq was an entirely different beast.