“Come on, pull them forward to the outside now and take them where I asked you to,” I said, helping them move the cannons up the slope. I instructed them to retrieve the cannons, and removing twenty cannons from the cave took almost five and a half hours.
“Take them to the place I asked you all to take them to,” I said, and one of them asked.“Commander, you won’t come?”
I smiled at him and shook my head.“You take charge from here, and if I don’t arrive in time for the attack, let Commander Eklavya take over,” I said, and they all nodded.
They ghosted the cannons away with the help of elephants dressed in black.
I was left alone.
Closing my eyes, I prayed to Mahadev to watch over everyone and ensure that no one died in this war, not a single soldier.
I went back into the cave and began scrutinising it. I pressed my ear against the cave walls to listen for the water level on the other side, if any, because I had noticed dampness on the rocks the other day.
That meant a parallel water channel ran alongside this dry channel, but a thick wall separated us.
All I had to do was find the spot where the wall was thin.
If I couldn’t burn these cannons to ashes, I could destroy them with water.
I continued searching for narrow places for the next one and a half days and marked a few. I also explored the high-pressure point where the water would be heavy and turbulent, flowing with such force that it would take everything in its path.
I was about to hit that place with the axe. But suddenly, I heard some movement in the cave. My ears perked, and I quickly ducked behind a wall, extinguishing the torch in my hand. I couldn’t afford to be caught.
I watched a troop of Mehrangarh soldiers arrive to take out the cannons.
Damn!
The troops of soldiers were taking the cannons out. This was a do-or-die moment. I had to break the water. I couldn’t let them move even a single one.
Closing my eyes, inhaling a deep breath, I lifted the axe. Moving away a few steps, I calmed my wild and intensely racing heartbeats.
Suman’s face flashed through my mind. She’d survive if I died.
I shouldn’t think about her. And, Bhai-sa, you both are happily married and have reasons to stay alive and not do this suicide mission. But I don’t have any, and being alive, I couldn’t let you two do any of this.
No matter how many may come, Rudraja will always be my favourite child. I love you, baby.
I genuinely love everyone: Bhabhi-sa, Rudraja, Guruji, Abhinandan, Eklavya, Ashwin, Ashwait, Trisha, Maasi-maa, and everyone I’ve ever met.
I exhaled deeply to steady my emotions and lifted the axe high before striking the marked point.
“Hey, who are you?” I heard the voices but ignored them.“What are you doing?”
I hit the wall again, using all my strength.
“Hey, hey, hey, what the hell are you doing? Stop!” They rushed toward me with their swords, and I closed my eyes before hitting the wall again.
As they marched closer, my breath stopped, looking at them momentarily.
A commotion erupted in the cave, followed by a sudden earthquake.
My heart came into my mouth. I tried to stay firm in my place. A few of them fell.
The screams erupted. I felt scared to death.
But not terrified.
“If you want to stay alive, just run,” I warned them and hit the wall again.
