Wanderers 26- Planned

The next day witnessed the first day of the war but the Mewari’s were very confident about their strengths. Both the sides made various arrangements.

Pratap’s side had made a wonderful strategy. Out of his eight ministers, Rana Punja and his army took the front waiting for the army to come near the cliff. Well known in cliff fighting the Bhills knew what they had to do.

The rest of the army waited. Akbar’s one portion met with the Bhills while others slowly climbed the cliff only to meet fate.

Rana Punja’s army hid behind rocks, camouflaged. Rana Punja’s son took the second front with a part of Bhills and a part of Mewari soldiers. The war was well planned. Pratap was on Chetak and his elephant Ram Prasad waited for protecting Pratap.

The back was managed by Shaliwaan and Guru Raghavendra while the east and west corridors by Ram Shah Tanwar and Balwant and Hakim and Shakti respectively. The west was particularly given to the strongest with cannon because after the forest the soldiers would enter through west with no option.

Pratap and Amar took the center positions surrounded by a patch of soldiers. Three rounds of soldiers were assembled around the two. Ram Prasad waited for the chance. Chetak waited to his loyalty. Pratap patiently waited to get Chittorgarh back to attain Veerghathi. All the ministers waited to prove their strengths and to show their love for Pratap and their motherland. Hakim Khan waited impatiently for Akbar’s tail Maan Singh to come to him so that he could avenge his people’s death and loss of his motherland.

Amidst all this, in the camp, waited ladies for their suhaag to return from the war with victory and give them a life they wanted, not luxury but love and care. The children stopped playing and sat along with their mothers for prayers praying for their fathers to return and for them to live happily in city and not in forest. Ladies of the commoners wanted Jauhar.

“Baisa hume lagta hai ki yeh beeshan yudh purn hone se pehle hi hum veh Mughal Agra le chale jayenge…hume toh Jauhar kar lena chahiye…”

“Haan baisa…yaha hum asurakshit hai aur pata nahi hum par humla kab hoga…”

“Baisa aur toh aur yeh hi humara parampara raha hai…jab beeshan yudh hota hai toh abhi aurath Jauhar karti hai aur hume bhi karna chahiye…jaise Rani Padmini ne kiya tha…”

“Aap abhi thik keh rahi hai parantu hum Rana ji ki baat taal nahi sakte hai…”

“ Aur hume kisi se darne ki koi avashyakata nahi hai kyu ki hum abhi ko ladna aata hai aur hume koi nahi chu sakta hai…”

“Yaha humare bacche hai aur unhe ladna aata hai…humari suraksha veh karenge…agar unse nahi ho pata th humare Kanha ji hai hume surakshit rakne hetu…”

“Aur rahi baat parampara ki toh hum apko bata de ki parampara vakt ke saath badal diye jana chahiye varna baad mein veh parampara nahi humare liye kast ban jayenge…”

“Baisa aap joh keh rahi hai agar yeh ho sakta hai toh hum Jauhar nahi karenge…”

“Aap sab nisandeh rahe…humare saath kuch anuchith nahi hoga…”

Akbar’s army too was made with many ministers. But Akbar did not come to the war for the first day leaving all the powers and veto power to Maan Singh. Maan Singh’s strategy was to first send Mansood Khan and his part of army to climb the cliff and then Ahmed Khan was to follow with rest of the army and lastly Maan Singh would come knowing Pratap won’t attack from behind.