by Ranjit Desai
Shivaji gave Shiva his own clothes to wear. The barber touched the clothes to his forehead before putting on an embroidered coat. Shivaji adjusted a rich turban on Shiva’s head and tied a stone-studded sword to his waist with a dagger on the other side of the waist. Shiva was becoming increasingly restless as he wore each garment and his heart was beating rapidly.
Raje took a piece of pearl jewellery and stuck it on to the turban. Taking off his jewel studded shoes he said, ‘Shiva, put these on.’
Shiva took a step back and holding the shoes close to his chest, he said, ‘Maharaj, I don’t deserve to even stand near them. How can I wear them?’
Shivaji said, his voice stern, ‘Shiva! Wear them. I can’t bear to see a crying Shivaji. If you cry, my reputation will be ruined!’
Shiva’s chest swelled. He had a smile in his eyes as he put Shivaji’s shoes on. He rested his hand on the sword’s hilt and said, ‘Who says I am crying?’
Shivaji laughed and he took off his pearl necklace and put it on Shiva. Bringing out a rudraksh necklace, he touched it to his forehead reverently before handing it over to Shiva saying, ‘Shiva, this is Bhawani’s prasad—our true wealth. It is a sign of the Devi’s kripa. Don’t think it is worthless. If nothing else works, this will help you to outwit Siddi.’
Shivaji stepped back to admire his new avatar. The guard came in to announce the arrival of Gangadharpant .
Shivaji quietly stepped into the other room as Gangadharpant and Baji Prabhu entered. Pant said, ‘Raje, everything is ready.’
Shiva turned around and said, ‘I am ready too.’
Baji Prabhu said, ‘Maharaj!’ and then, realizing his mistake, he exclaimed, ‘Oh, it’s you, Shiva!’
Shiva smiled. Raje stepped in from the other room and asked, ‘Baji, what do you think of this copy?’
‘Maharaj, anyone who has not seen you at close quarters would easily be fooled. But Shiva, Raje does not stand with such drooping shoulders.’
Shiva stood ramrod straight and everyone burst out laughing.
Shivaji said, ‘Shiva, I forgot one thing.’
He removed his earrings and put one of them on to Shiva’s ear. As he turned to put the other ring, he could not hold his emotions back and tears flowed down his cheeks. A sob escaped his lips as he handed the earring to Shiva.
Shiva exclaimed, ‘Maharaj!’
Raje hugged Shiva tightly and did not say a word. His tears drenched Shiva’s shoulders. Raje said, ‘Shiva, I hate what I must do. I have to sacrifice people like you at each step. You are willing to embrace death for me, and here I am, putting earrings on you! What will I get finally? What an irony!’
Shiva struggled out of Raje’s embrace and said, ‘Raje, there are many people who cry when someone dies. But very few who are willing to cry for a living person. Maharaj, you are shedding tears for someone like me. What more can I ask for? I am willing to give my life for each one of your tears. Don’t weep for me.’
Raje gathered his emotions and wiped his eyes. He asked, ‘Gangadharpant, have you sent the spies ahead?’
‘Yes, they left the moment it was dark. But Raje, there is a storm brewing outside.’
‘Mother Nature is here to protect me. It is a full moon tonight but she has ensured that the moon does not expose me.’
Everyone ate their meal and was ready to move. It was late that night when Shivaji came out of his quarters. The rains continued to lash, the wind blew hard and the palanquin was ready and waiting. Raje hugged Shiva and addressing Trayambakrao he said, ‘Close the doors the moment I leave. Send Shiva off on the other route. Keep fighting and protect the fort for as many days as you can.’
Pant replied, ‘Raje, don’t worry. Just take care of yourself.’
Raje said, ‘Baji is with me. I am not worried. I shall take your leave now.’
Siva sat in the palanquin and the group moved out towards the exit. He was followed by six hundred foot soldiers and fifteen cavalry troops. The door closed the moment they left.
Shivaji and his palanquin began their descent from the other route.
#
Raje’s palanquin moved forward in the torrential rain. Baji and other soldiers ran alongside. In order to avoid noise, none of the bearers were wearing shoes. In any case, the shoes would not have lasted in the muddy, rocky and rough terrain. Each moment was critical and they made as much speed as possible.
The enemy’s security ring could be seen now. Spies would go ahead and keep Raje informed every fifty steps. They slowed down a little seeing a post ahead. Swords were silently unsheathed as everyone waited with bated breath. They proceeded with utmost care not to make any noise. Their footsteps in the puddles sounded louder than the falling rain. They had crossed the post when they heard a loud voice asking, ‘Who’s there?’
Baji hissed, ‘Keep moving.’
The speed, which had slacked for a while, picked up again. The voice was heard again, ‘Who’s there?’
Raje’s palanquin had crossed the security ring by then. The palanquin bearers were running now. They heard voices, ‘Stop!’
Baji’s order to keep moving was louder than the order to stop. The enemy was now convinced, and Shivaji’s men heard one of the soldiers shouting, ‘The enemy has run away!’
#
‘How did he escape?’
Siddi Johar had been sitting on a royal seat, drunk and about to go to sleep, when the news of Shivaji’s escape reached him. Like a cobra enjoying the warm sun in a jungle, but which stands up, hissing, when a stone is thrown at it, Siddi Johar sat upright in a flash, his eyes red with anger. He pounded the messenger with blows and slaps. Fazal and Masood Khan came running in.
Fazal said, ‘I knew it! I warned you!’
‘Khamosh!’ Siddi Johar shouted angrily.
Fazal was about to say something but seeing Siddi Johar’s face, he swallowed his words.
Siddi Johar looked at Masood and said, ‘Masood, Shivaji ka peecha karo! Go! Don’t come back till you find him.’
Masood did not delay a single moment and gathered a thousand horsemen and foot soldiers. They covered a large distance but were not able to see Shivaji and his men anywhere. Suddenly they heard a scream, ‘Enemy!’
Masood’s hopes rose, and he spurred his horse on. A palanquin had been surrounded by his horsemen. He saw Raje sitting in the palanquin and Masood was overjoyed. He had trapped the Maratha king Shivaji without much effort!
The palanquin reached the cantonment among tight security. Everyone was thrilled on hearing the news and a guard ran to inform Siddi of the capture.
‘Shivaji has been caught, Huzoor! Masood is coming back with him.’
Siddi stared at the messenger and a smile played on his lips, his white teeth shining in the darkness. He took a gold leaf from his turban and threw it at the messenger. Fazal Khan was watching the scene unfold when Siddi said, ‘Fazal, no one has escaped from the clutches of the Kurnool lion. And this Shivaji thought he can … ha!’
They heard the soldiers at the door of the tent. Siddi and Fazal turned to look when Masood walked in. He was followed by Shivaji Raje who walked in as if nothing had happened. Raje looked at everyone and stared at Siddi Johar, who was surprised at his temerity.
Siddi smiled and said, ‘Raje, it looks like you were trying to escape.’
‘Yes, that was the plan.’
‘What happened then?’
‘Well, I got caught!’
Siddi laughed. ‘Raje, you are a daredevil. Come, take a seat.’
Fazal was seething with anger on seeing Shivaji. This was the same Shivaji who had murdered his Abbajaan. And Siddi was treating him with such courtesies!
‘Johar,’ Fazal shouted, ‘why are you praising this enemy of the sultanate? Take your sword and …’
‘Fazal, hold your tongue! Shivaji is not an ordinary sardar like you or me. He is a king. His fate will be decided by the Badshah. Raje is my guest. Raje, take a seat please.’
‘Thank you!’
/> ‘Rajasaab sharaab piyoge?’ Siddi asked, looking at his wet clothes.
Siddi handed over a tumbler to him and poured some amber liquid into it. Raje did not touch the tumbler but looked at Siddi and asked, ‘Aap nahin piyoge?’
Siddi smiled. Wanting to reassure Shivaji, he picked the same jar and poured himself a drink and sipped a little. Raje too followed suit, smiling as he did.
Siddi Johar was staring at Raje. He was amused and admired Raje’s courage. He asked, ‘Rajasaab, agar aap bhag jaate, toh kahan jaate?’
‘Vishalgad. Had I reached there, you would not have been able to do anything.’
‘Bilkul sach, Rajasaab. I am sorry your kismet is not supporting you.’
Raje smiled and said, ‘But my Lord is with me.’
Siddi asked, ‘What if you had been killed in the battle?’
At that moment, a messenger entered the tent and whispered something in Siddi’s ear. Anger boiled over Siddi’s face and he asked, as he unsheathed his sword, ‘Who are you?’
‘Shivaji.’
‘Liar! The real Shivaji has escaped!’
‘Shivaji Raje is not so naïve that he would be caught by you. By now, Raje has gone far away.’
‘Who are you then? Speak up!’
Shiva looked at Siddi and said, ‘I am called Shiva the barber.’
‘Treachery!’ screamed Fazal.
Siddi stood there, shivering with anger. He touched his sword to Shiva’s chest and said, ‘Do you know the consequences of this?’
Shiva pushed the sword away without flinching and said, ‘Had I not known, I would not have undertaken this enterprise. If I were worried for my life, I had this dagger to help me in the palanquin.’
‘Haramkhor!’ shouted Fazal.
Shiva laughed and said, ‘Fazal, there is no point in getting angry now. Raje has escaped long ago and I am fortunate to have worn Raje’s clothes for a brief while. Even to pretend to be Shivaji is a reward for me—this Shiva is blessed.’
‘Khamosh, kambhakt!’ Siddi screamed. He plunged his sword deep into Shiva’s chest and Shiva’s face contorted with pain.
He stumbled but managed to support himself on a pillar to steady himself. He said, ‘I may only be pretending to be Shivaji but I am not going to show my back to the enemy either. Raje, this is my final salute to you!’ And so saying, he collapsed on to the floor.
#
The news of Raje’s escape created turmoil in Khan’s camp. Masood rued his luck for having captured a fake Shivaji, and gathered his forces again and marched towards Vishalgad. Siddi Johar did not know what to do next. He wondered if the real Shivaji was still at the Panhala Fort and ordered the security ring to tighten further.
Dawn broke on the eastern horizon as Raje’s palanquin moved towards Vishalgad. The storm had lessened but the rains continued unabated. Raje had tears in his eyes seeing the risk his men were willing to take for him. Vishalgad was still hours away.
It was morning when they got the news of Masood and his men pursuing them. The men, tired to the bone after running the whole night, were determined to reach Vishalgad at the earliest. They reached Godhkhind, a narrow pass near Gajapur, and it was nearly ten kilometres to Vishalgad. The enemy could be sighted now. At this moment, they got the news that Surve and Jaswant Singh had surrounded Vishalgad, and in order to reach the fort, they would have to break through their ranks. Raje had barely six hundred foot soldiers with him and they were exhausted after running more than forty-eight kilometres through the night. How would they break through Surve’s siege? And Masood was following them!
Raje had never faced such a situation earlier. Baji Prabhu ordered the palanquin to be lowered and Raje stepped out.
Baji said, ‘Maharaj, there is no time to spare. I suggest that you move ahead with a few soldiers. Break through Surve’s flank and reach the fort.’
‘And what about you, Baji?’
‘Me? I will be waiting here. We will not allow the enemy to cross this place.’
‘No, Baji. You have played with fire to get me here. Whatever happens, let us face it together.’
‘Raje,’ Baji said, ‘each moment is crucial. I request you to move ahead. You need to fulfil our mission. If the enemy reaches you, all our efforts will be wasted.’
Raje hugged Baji who then saluted and said, ‘Raje, hurry! We will take care of the enemy. I will die knowing that our families will be taken care of by you. I have no worries. But Raje …’
‘What is it, Baji?’ Raje asked, holding back his tears.
‘Raje, fire a cannon the moment you reach the fort. Take care, Raje!’
Raje hugged Baji again. Baji extricated himself and stood at attention as Raje moved ahead with a few soldiers towards Vishalgad. Baji kept looking at them till they disappeared from his sight and then turned to his men. The soldiers were waiting for instructions.
‘What are you staring at me for? Till Raje reaches the fort, not a single enemy must cross this place. Now say with me—Har Har Mahadev!’
The cries of ‘Har Har Mahadev!’ rent the air and a surge of energy flowed through everyone. Their swords were drawn and Baji Prabhu waited for the enemy to reach them.
Masood and his troops were advancing to the shouts of ‘Deen! Deen!’
The gorge at Gajapur was true to its name. It was called Godhkhind and there were high mountain walls on both sides with a narrow path in between. The gorge was almost a hundred and fifty yards long. As Masood’s men reached the gorge, Baji Prabhu’s soldiers pounced on them—the massacre had begun. The soldiers moved back and forth, fighting each other. Masood’s men were trying their best to move forward and were effectively resisted by Baji’s men.
An hour passed and Suryarao came forward to lead the attack. Raje’s men had taken an oath of valour. They knew that their job was to get Raje to the fort safely. Surve’s men were not able to repulse the determined attack and soon they were fighting a losing battle. The shouts of ‘Har Har Mahadev!’ reached the fort and Raje with his wounded soldiers ran towards Vishalgad.
The saffron flag at the fort fluttered in the rain and the fort was within grasp now. While Raje had managed to escape, Baji and his men were fighting a losing battle in the gorge. Only a handful of the three hundred were alive. There was no one who was not wounded and the blood staining the gorge would have put a Holi celebration to shame.
Baji was wounded all over but he continued to swirl his sword at the enemy. The knot of hair tied at the back of his head was swinging as he moved from one place to another. They had managed to frustrate Masood and his men for more than three hours but Masood was not one to give up easily. He ordered for a gun to be brought. The gun boomed but the Mavals continued their attack and the gorge remained unassailable.
Baji recovered from the shock and asked, seeing a small cloud of smoke in the air, ‘Has the cannon been fired?’ He could barely stand now but that was the only question Baji kept asking. As a soldier tried to give him a helping hand to get up, he said, ‘So what if I am wounded by a bullet? Raje has not reached the fort yet—how can Baji afford to die?’
Baji rushed to the entrance of the gorge, brandishing a sword. The enemy soldiers were taken aback seeing a wounded Baji standing there and at that moment, the cannons from the fort boomed.
Baji had a smile on his lips and he muttered, ‘Raje has reached the fort. We have won!’ Saying so, he collapsed. Masood’s men stormed the gorge and attacked like wolves. The Mavals had been courting death for nearly twenty hours now. They were blessed that their efforts had not been in vain. They had no more energy left to fight.
There was a massacre at the Godhkhind gorge and the entire Maval troop was killed by Masood’s men. But no one had any regrets—they had done their job.
#
It was evening when Raje reached the gates of Vishalgad and ordered the cannon to be fired immediately. Everyone at the fort was overjoyed to see Raje. The Mavals accompanying Raje were tired and sapped of strength. Raje asked the fort
-keeper, ‘What is the condition of the fort?’
‘Maharaj, the fort is strong and well protected. We have enough soldiers here.’
‘Our soldiers are wounded and tired. Treat their wounds with ghee and ignore anyone who tries to refuse. No one has eaten for the past twenty hours. Feed them first and then let them rest.’
The soldiers were not worried about their wounds and the pain they caused but they were not willing to subject themselves to the treatment! The only treatment for wounds was to apply a balm of old and rotten ghee, an effective but painful solution. The ghee would not only cure the wound but also prevent it from rotting. The burning sensation was worse than rubbing salt into the wound. Everyone was scared to volunteer for the treatment but they had no choice—they had to obey Raje’s command!
Raje could not sleep. He looked at the Maval region as it shone in the evening light. The gorge at Gajapur seemed quiet and he could not see any movement there. Raje was worried and fuming at the thought of Surve and his troops surrounding the fort. Raje had pardoned Surve thinking he was loyal to Raje but Surve had not hesitated to join forces with Siddi Johar.
Raje came back to the palace. The fort-keeper had organized the treasury and other valuables for inspection but Raje merely sat on his chair looking worried. Everyone knew what had happened in the Gajapur gorge but no one dared to spell it out.
The fort-keeper came in followed by a wounded and limping soldier. Raje got up and helped the soldier to sit. The soldier was in a daze and nearly fainting. Raje splashed some water on his face and someone brought a mashaal closer to his face. He opened his eyes and seeing Raje, he tried getting up.
Raje held him and said, ‘Tell me what happened!’
‘Raje, Baji fought like a tiger waiting for the signal from the fort confirming your safety. His body was so full of wounds that it could not be wounded further. Masood had a rifleman and Baji took the bullets on his chest.’
The wounded soldier gasped for breath.
Raje asked, his voice choked with emotion, ‘Then what happened?’
‘Baji fell down and we pulled him back. The fight continued. Baji came to his senses and asked, “Has the cannon been sounded?” Realizing that you have not yet reached the fort, he got up immediately and no one could stop him. He moved towards the gorge saying, “Raje has not yet reached the fort. So what if I am hurt? When Raje has not reached the fort yet, how can this Baji die?”’