"Vidur!"
Narayanrao's voice broke through the din as he hurried to Vidur Pant's side, where Vidur stood near the shattered gates of Fort Panhala, watching the Mughal forces regroup outside the courtyard.
"Brother," Vidur replied, barely turning as his eyes remained locked on the advancing enemy.
"The men are holding the line, but the gates are gone," Narayanrao muttered, scanning the crumbling defenses around them. "We won't last much longer."
Vidur's jaw tightened. "We have no choice. We hold this fort. Help is on the way."
Narayanrao gave a quick nod. "They will come, Vidur, but the men are exhausted. If the Mughals breach the inner walls—"
"They won't."
Vidur's voice was calm, though the weight of their situation bore down on him like a heavy stone. "Prepare the inner defenses. We make our stand here."
The sound of steel clashing filled the air, mixed with the groaning of stone as the Mughal siege engines pounded the fort's outer walls. Dust and debris rained down with each strike, but the Maratha soldiers, though battered, continued their defense with unwavering resolve.
From his vantage point atop the walls, Vidur surveyed the battlefield. "Narayanrao," he called again, his voice sharper now.
Narayanrao stepped closer. "What is it?"
"The Mughals are preparing another charge. They've already breached the outer walls, but they haven't fully pushed through. We need to stall them."
Narayanrao's gaze darkened. "We've already lost half the men holding the front gate. What do you have in mind?"
Vidur's lips curled into a faint smile. "Fire. We burn the narrow passes."
Narayanrao blinked, taken aback. "You want to—"
"Burn the passes," Vidur confirmed. "It will slow them. They'll have to fight through the smoke and fire. We'll hold them at the keep."
Without waiting for a reply, Vidur turned on his heel, barking orders to the nearest group of soldiers. "Bring oil and torches! We need fire on the eastern side, now!"
The flames roared to life as Maratha soldiers poured oil into the narrow passes leading to the inner keep, igniting the ground beneath the approaching Mughal forces. Smoke billowed into the air, and the Mughals hesitated, their advance momentarily stalled by the sudden blaze.
Vidur stood by the ramparts, watching the chaos unfold below. The fire wouldn't hold them forever, but it would buy them precious time.
"Vidur!"
Narayanrao rushed back, his face gleaming with sweat and soot. "The fire's slowing them down, but they're preparing the battering ram again. They'll breach the gates soon."
"We fall back to the keep," Vidur said firmly, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. "We make our last stand there."
As the last of the Maratha soldiers retreated into the inner keep, Vidur and Narayanrao stood side by side, watching as the Mughals once again rammed the gates. The wood groaned under the relentless pounding, and with a final, deafening crack, the gates splintered.
"They're inside!" Narayanrao shouted, drawing his sword.
Vidur's eyes narrowed. "Hold the line! We fight to the last man."
The Mughal soldiers poured into the courtyard, but the Marathas were ready. The battle was fierce, each side clashing with brutal intensity. Vidur's sword flashed in the dim light as he fought off one attacker after another, his movements precise and swift despite the exhaustion creeping into his bones.
"They keep coming!" Narayanrao grunted as he blocked a strike from a Mughal soldier, the sound of steel against steel ringing in the air.
Vidur, panting heavily, fought beside him. "We hold them here!"
Hours passed in a blur of blood and steel. The inner courtyard was littered with the fallen, both Maratha and Mughal alike, but the Mughal forces continued their relentless assault. Vidur could feel his strength waning, but he refused to falter.
"Vidur!"
Narayanrao's voice broke through the chaos once more. "Look!"
Vidur's heart skipped a beat as he glanced toward the horizon. There, in the distance, through the haze of battle and smoke, he saw it—the Maratha reinforcements. Banners flew high, and the sound of galloping horses filled the air.
"They're here!" Vidur shouted, his voice filled with a surge of hope.
Narayanrao grinned, wiping the sweat from his brow. "We're saved!"
The sight of the approaching reinforcements sent a wave of energy through the Maratha defenders. The soldiers fought with renewed strength, pushing the Mughals back toward the gates as the cavalry stormed into the courtyard, cutting through the enemy ranks with brutal efficiency.
The Mughals, caught off guard by the sudden arrival of the reinforcements, began to falter. Their commanders shouted desperate orders, but it was too late—their lines were breaking.
Vidur fought on, his heart pounding as he saw the tide of the battle turn in their favor. The Mughals, disorganized and outnumbered, began to retreat, leaving behind their dead and wounded.
The battle was over.
As the last of the Mughal forces fled the fort, a great cheer erupted from the Maratha soldiers. Vidur stood at the center of the courtyard, breathing heavily as he surveyed the scene. They had held Fort Panhala.
Narayanrao approached, grinning as he wiped the blood from his sword. "We did it, Vidur. We held them off."
Vidur nodded, though his exhaustion was evident. "It's not over yet, Narayanrao. The Mughals will return. This was just the first wave."
Santaji Ghorpade, who had led the reinforcements, approached with a satisfied smile. "We saw the smoke from miles away. Looks like we arrived just in time."
"You did," Vidur said, his voice laced with gratitude. "If you hadn't—"
"We're not done fighting," Santaji interrupted, his tone serious. "But today, we've won."
Vidur glanced around at the battered fort, the fallen soldiers, and the exhausted faces of the men who had fought beside him. They had held Panhala, but he knew this was only the beginning.
As the sun set over the bloodstained walls of Fort Panhala, Vidur stood on the ramparts, gazing out over the valley below. The battle had been hard-fought, but the Marathas had prevailed. Yet even with the victory fresh in his mind, Vidur knew the war was far from over.
The Mughals would regroup. They would come again.
But for now, Fort Panhala stood strong.
And so did Vidur.