Chapter 5
The Rescue Mission to Shivdattgarh
6 min read · 4 pages
Pandit Badrinath, Pannalal, Ramnarayan, Chunnilal, and Jagannath Jyotishi set out towards Shivdattgarh to rescue Bhaironsingh Aiyar. According to orders, Commander Kanchansingh had sent spies after the lion-clad Babaji and had discovered that Bhaironsingh Aiyar had been taken inside the fort of Shivdattgarh. Therefore, there was no need to search for these Aiyars; they went straight to Shivdattgarh and, changing their appearances, began to roam about the city. The five of them parted ways, but had agreed that after wandering about, they would all gather at a certain place.
After spending the day searching for Bhaironsingh, all the Aiyars gathered on a hill outside the city, and spent the night in counsel, forming a plan. The next day, they again entered Shivdattgarh, each in a different disguise. Ramnarayan and Chunnilal took on the appearance of the local palace guards and went to the place where Bhaironsingh was imprisoned. Having been in captivity for several days, Bhaironsingh had revealed his true identity, and in his real form, he was locked in a cell with iron bars on three sides. Next to his cell was another of the same kind, in which an old warden sat on a cushion, and several soldiers, naked swords in hand, patrolled back and forth on guard.
Ramnarayan and Chunnilal went and stood at the door of the cell and began to converse with the old warden.
Ramnarayan: "The Maharaj has summoned you."
Old Warden: "Why, what is the matter? Come inside, sit, let us go."
Ramnarayan and Chunnilal entered the cell and said—
Ramnarayan: "I do not know why you have been called, but the order is to bring you quickly."
Old Man: "It hasn't even been an hour since someone came and said that the Maharaj himself was about to come. Was that a lie?"
Ramnarayan: "Yes, the Maharaj was about to come, but now he will not."
Old Man: "Very well, you two sit right here and guard the prisoner. I am going."
Ramnarayan: "Very well."
After seating Ramnarayan and Chunnilal inside the cell, the old jailor stepped outside and, with cunning, quickly shut the door of the cell and called out from outside, "Greetings! I have recognized you both as ayyars! Now tell me, are you not trapped in our prison? How cleverly I found out! I asked, 'It was just learned that the Maharaj himself was coming,' and you immediately admitted, 'Yes, he was about to come, but now he will not.' You did not realize I was deceiving you. Is this the cleverness with which you practice ayyari? Well, now you can enjoy the air of this prison, and know that I, Baqar Ali Ayyar, have been placed here precisely to teach people like you a lesson."
Hearing the old man's words, Ramnarayan and Chunnilal fell silent, lowering their heads in shame. The old jailor left the place and went to Shivdutt, reporting the capture of these two ayyars. The Maharaj, pleased, rewarded Baqar Ali and, in his happiness, came himself to
Logging in only takes 3.5 seconds. It lets you download books offline and save your reading progress.
