"Narayanrao," Vidur Pant's voice was low but firm, breaking the quiet of the early morning as he stood near the eastern ramparts of Fort Panhala. Narayanrao, calm as always despite the brewing conflict, turned to Vidur with a slight nod.
"Vidur," Narayanrao greeted him. "The men are already working on the repairs. The breaches in the walls are being fixed, but I can tell there's something else on your mind."
Vidur glanced at the soldiers below, their figures moving steadily as they reinforced the fort's defenses. His expression tightened. "It's not just the walls. The attack yesterday—the Mughals knew exactly where to hit. They had too much information."
Narayanrao's face grew serious, his brow furrowing. "You think there's a traitor?"
"I do," Vidur replied, his tone steady. "The way they attacked, it's clear. Someone has been telling them our plans."
Narayanrao stepped closer, his voice lowering. "I've thought the same. I've already started speaking to some of the men, quietly. There are only a few who had access to our plans."
Vidur nodded, his gaze scanning the fort. "We can't act too soon. If we expose the traitor before we have proof, they might slip away."
Narayanrao crossed his arms, his eyes hard. "We need to be careful. But we also can't wait too long. The Mughals will regroup, and if there's someone feeding them information, they'll strike again. What's your plan?"
Vidur's eyes narrowed as he thought carefully. "We need to watch closely. When the time is right, we'll set a trap."
Later that afternoon, Vidur wandered through the barracks, watching the men. His thoughts kept circling back to the idea of a traitor in their midst. His instincts had been sharpened by the conflict, and today, they led him to Rajesh, a newer recruit who had been acting strangely. Rajesh sat alone, sharpening his sword, but Vidur noticed his hands trembled slightly, and the blade was already sharp enough. Something wasn't right.
"Rajesh," Vidur called out casually as he approached. The recruit looked up quickly, stiffening at the sound of his name. His eyes darted nervously before he lowered his head again.
"Sir," Rajesh replied, his voice a bit shaky.
Vidur sat beside him, his tone light but probing. "You seem distant. Everything alright?"
Rajesh hesitated before answering, his fingers still gripping the sharpening stone tightly. "Just tired, sir. Yesterday's battle... everyone's on edge."
"Understandable," Vidur said, watching him closely. "But I've noticed you've been keeping to yourself. Is there something you want to talk about?"
Rajesh fumbled with his cloak, avoiding Vidur's gaze. "No, sir. Just... focusing on my duties."
Vidur leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. "You've heard the rumors, haven't you? That someone's been giving information to the Mughals."
Rajesh froze, his hand jerking slightly. "I don't know anything about that, sir," he stammered, his voice too quick and defensive.
Vidur watched him for a long moment before standing. His tone was calm but cold. "Of course. But I'll be watching. You should rest up, Rajesh."
Vidur walked away, certain now that Rajesh was hiding something. But he needed more than suspicion—he needed proof.
That night, Vidur met with Narayanrao and Santaji Ghorpade in a quiet corner of the fort, away from the eyes and ears of the camp. The three men stood close together, speaking in low voices.
"I talked to Rajesh," Vidur said quietly. "He's nervous, hiding something for sure. But we need to handle this carefully."
Narayanrao crossed his arms. "So, what's the plan?"
"We give him false information," Vidur replied. "If he's leaking details to the Mughals, he'll take the bait. We spread rumors about a fake raid. If the Mughals act on it, we'll know it's him."
Santaji nodded slowly, considering the idea. "A decoy plan. Let him overhear talk of a night raid. If the Mughals fall for it, we'll have our traitor."
"Exactly," Vidur agreed. "We make it believable. Let Rajesh overhear the details, then watch his next move."
Narayanrao nodded. "I'll make sure only a few trusted men are in on this. Rajesh won't suspect anything."
Hours later, the plan was set in motion. Word of a supposed night raid spread through the fort, carefully leaked near Rajesh. Vidur, Narayanrao, and Santaji watched from a distance, waiting to see if Rajesh would take the bait.
It was well past midnight when a scout hurried over to Vidur, his voice urgent. "He's moving, sir."
Vidur's pulse quickened. "Where?"
"Toward the northern wall," the scout whispered.
Vidur signaled to Narayanrao and Santaji, and the three of them followed Rajesh through the shadows. They kept out of sight as Rajesh made his way to a secluded spot near the fort's wall. There, he knelt down, pulling a small bundle of papers from his cloak. Vidur's heart raced—this was the proof they needed.
"Rajesh," Vidur called out, stepping into the moonlight.
Rajesh froze, his face paling as he turned slowly to face Vidur. The papers fell from his hands, and he stumbled backward. "Sir... I wasn't..."
"You've been leaking information to the Mughals," Vidur said, his voice firm but calm.
Rajesh's face crumbled. He fell to his knees, tears welling in his eyes. "Please, sir! They threatened my family! I had no choice!"
Vidur stepped closer, his expression hard. "Men died because of your betrayal."
Narayanrao, now standing beside Vidur, drew his sword. "You know the price of treason."
Rajesh sobbed, his voice breaking. "Please! I didn't want to, but they said they'd kill my family! I didn't have a choice!"
Vidur's voice was cold. "You'll face justice in the morning."
Narayanrao grabbed Rajesh and tied his hands. The traitor offered no resistance as he was led away, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Vidur stood still, watching as they disappeared into the night.
The threat within their walls had been dealt with, but the sense of unease lingered. Rajesh's betrayal had cost them dearly, and the Mughals would soon return, possibly stronger than before.
As Vidur stared out at the darkened horizon, he knew that this battle was far from over. The Mughals would strike again, and when they did, the Marathas needed to be ready. For now, they had removed one threat, but many more lay ahead.