The first boulder smashed into the walls of Fort Panhala with a deafening thud, sending shockwaves through the stone beneath Vidur Pant's feet. Dust and rubble shook loose from the battlements as the Mughal siege engines fired again, launching heavy projectiles at the fort. Vidur gripped the rampart tightly, his heart racing. The storm had arrived, and the siege had begun.
"Hold the line!" Vidur's voice cut through the chaos, as soldiers scrambled to their positions along the walls. The Maratha warriors, battle-hardened but outnumbered, readied themselves for the long fight ahead. Vidur could see the grim determination on their faces as they prepared to defend their home.
"They're bringing everything they have," Narayanrao muttered, stepping up beside Vidur, his eyes locked on the massive Mughal army that now encircled the fort. Siege engines, cannons, and thousands of Mughal soldiers were lined up, preparing for a relentless assault.
Vidur nodded grimly, his mind racing with calculations. "They want this fort back at all costs. If they breach the walls, we're finished."
Narayanrao's jaw tightened. "Then we make sure they never breach the walls."
The drums of war echoed through the valley as the Mughals prepared to launch their first assault. Vidur watched as waves of infantry advanced, their shields raised, arrows raining down from the Maratha archers above. The enemy's strategy was clear: overwhelm the defenders with sheer numbers, while their siege weapons pounded the fort's defenses.
"Archers! Fire at will!" Narayanrao commanded, his voice steady despite the tension.
The Maratha archers, positioned strategically along the walls, let loose a volley of arrows that sliced through the air. Vidur watched as the Mughal front lines staggered under the attack, but they kept advancing, their shields protecting them from the worst of the barrage.
"They're getting too close," Vidur muttered, his eyes narrowing as he saw the Mughal soldiers reach the base of the fort's walls. Ladders were being hoisted, and the enemy was preparing to scale the battlements.
"We need to push them back!" Narayanrao growled.
Vidur nodded. "Time for the oil."
At Vidur's signal, a group of soldiers rushed forward, hauling large barrels of oil toward the edge of the walls. With swift precision, they tipped the barrels over, sending hot oil cascading down onto the Mughal soldiers attempting to scale the walls. Screams filled the air as the enemy soldiers fell back, their skin burning from the searing liquid.
"For Shivaji Maharaj!" Vidur called out, rallying the defenders. The soldiers echoed his cry, their morale bolstered by the small victory. But Vidur knew it wouldn't last long.
The Mughals, undeterred, regrouped quickly. More siege engines rolled forward, their massive wheels churning through the dirt as they prepared to unleash another barrage of stones and cannon fire on the fort's walls. Vidur could see the strain on the soldiers' faces as they braced for the next wave.
"Reinforcements from Raigad are still two days away," Narayanrao said, his voice low. "We'll need to hold until then."
Vidur's mind was already racing, trying to think of how to delay the inevitable. The fort's defenses were strong, but not invincible. Every hit from the siege weapons brought them one step closer to collapse.
"We can't let them reach the gates," Vidur said, his voice calm but firm. "We need to keep them on the outside as long as possible."
Narayanrao nodded. "What's your plan?"
Vidur's eyes scanned the courtyard, his thoughts coming together quickly. "We use the inner defenses. We'll retreat to the second level if they breach the walls. Set traps, block off sections, and force them into narrow passages. If they get in, we make them pay for every inch."
Narayanrao grinned grimly. "I like the way you think."
As the Mughals pressed their attack, Vidur and Narayanrao moved quickly through the fort, giving orders and preparing the soldiers for a potential breach. They reinforced the gates, piled rocks behind key defensive positions, and set traps in the narrow passages that led to the inner courtyard.
"They'll come for the gates next," Narayanrao muttered as they reached the main entrance, where thick wooden doors stood between them and the advancing enemy.
Vidur nodded. "We hold here as long as we can. If they get through, fall back to the inner keep."
The sound of the battering ram slamming against the gates reverberated through the fort, each hit sending splinters flying. The soldiers braced themselves, gripping their weapons tightly as the pounding continued.
"Steady!" Vidur shouted, his voice carrying over the noise. "Wait for my signal!"
The battering ram hit the gate again, harder this time, and Vidur felt the wood begin to crack. He exchanged a glance with Narayanrao, who nodded, understanding that the time had come.
"Now!" Vidur commanded.
The Maratha soldiers moved as one, pushing rocks and debris into the path of the gate just as it began to splinter. It wasn't much, but it would buy them a few precious moments before the Mughals broke through.
Despite their best efforts, the gates didn't hold. With a final, deafening crash, the wooden doors gave way, and the Mughal soldiers surged forward, pouring into the outer courtyard.
"Fall back!" Vidur ordered, his voice cutting through the chaos.
The Maratha soldiers retreated in an organized fashion, moving quickly to the inner walls as the Mughals poured into the fort. Vidur, Narayanrao, and Santaji led the defense, using the narrow passageways and traps to slow the enemy's advance. Stones rolled down from the walls, crushing Mughal soldiers, while hidden pits swallowed those unlucky enough to fall into them.
"Keep moving!" Narayanrao shouted, directing the men toward the inner defenses. "We can't let them push us further back!"
Vidur fought alongside the soldiers, his sword flashing as he parried a Mughal attacker. He felt the weight of every strike, the exhaustion creeping into his muscles, but he couldn't afford to slow down. The fight for Panhala had entered its most desperate phase.
Hours passed, and the battle raged on. The Mughals had taken heavy losses, but so had the Marathas. The inner courtyard was now the final line of defense, and Vidur knew they couldn't hold it much longer.
But then, as the first rays of sunlight broke through the smoke-filled sky, a scout appeared at the top of the walls, breathless and wide-eyed.
"Reinforcements!" the scout shouted, his voice filled with hope. "Reinforcements are coming!"
Vidur's heart leaped in his chest as he turned to Narayanrao, who grinned for the first time that day. "We're not done yet," Narayanrao said, clapping Vidur on the shoulder.
Vidur allowed himself a brief moment of relief, but he knew the battle wasn't over. They still had to hold on until the reinforcements reached them.
"Prepare for one final push," Vidur said, his voice filled with renewed determination. "We hold this fort, no matter what."
As the Mughal forces regrouped for what they believed would be the final assault, Vidur stood tall on the battlements, his eyes fixed on the approaching horizon.
The reinforcements were coming.
But they weren't here yet.