A 41-year-old Afghan intelligence officer took the last commercial flight from Kabul to Delhi on Sunday to escape “certain death”, leaving behind his mother, wife and eight-year-old son.

“I had to run, else the Taliban would have killed me. I could not bring my family along,” Asif said in broken Hindi, his eyes welling up.

A compatriot helped Asif find accommodation for Rs 500 a day. “I will try if I can get a room for Rs 200-300,” he said.

Asked if he had food, the officer of the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan’s national intelligence service, broke down.

“Sab khatam. There is no chance we will return to our country ever,” he said.