At some distance from the hill in front of the fort of Rohtasgarh, Virendra Singh's army was encamped. Soldiers could be seen everywhere, each busy with his own task. Some troops had already arrived, and more continued to pour in. In the center stood the richly decorated tent of Raja Virendra Singh, resplendent in its grandeur. On either side were the tents of Kunwar Indrajit Singh and Anand Singh. In front and to the rear, the camps of great sardars and brave warriors were pitched. Preparations for the bazaar were underway, and such a vast array of war equipment was being assembled that the mere sight of it would chill the hearts of their enemies.

On the second day after the camp was established, Kunwar Indrajit Singh, Anand Singh, Tej Singh, Devi Singh, Pandit Badrinath, Bhairon Singh, Tara Singh, Jagannath the astrologer, and Fateh Singh (the old

The general who had been stationed at Naugarh, along with Naharsingh and others, also arrived with King Virendra Singh, and everyone settled into their respective camps. Pannalal was kept at Gayaji, while Ramnarayan and Chunnilal were held at Chunar Fort. For this battle, the rank of commander was bestowed upon Naharsingh. On the third day, as more troops arrived, five standards—signifying an army of fifty thousand—were raised. The faces of the brave warriors shone with joy. Everyone was preoccupied with the hope that the battle would commence as soon as possible, and indeed, it was expected that within a day or two, the fighting would begin. However, a sudden calamity befell Virendra Singh's army, causing the battle to be delayed for several days. No one had even dreamt of such a disaster, the details of which we shall recount further ahead.

An ayyār of King Digvijay Singh arrived at King Virendra Singh's camp, bearing a letter from his master. Virendra Singh took the letter and handed it to his munshi to read aloud. The gist of its contents was as follows:

"There has never been enmity between us, yet for some unknown reason, you have resolved to wage war or sow discord. Well, whatever the cause may be, we cannot say, but you should remember that even if you fight for fifty years, you will not be able to take this fort from us. Even if we sit quietly, you can do us no harm. Still, we shall fight you and come forth onto the battlefield to display our valor. If you are so proud of your bravery and manliness, why endanger the lives of your soldiers? Let us settle this one-on-one. After witnessing the actions of the brave, let there be a duel between you and me. If you defeat me, this kingdom shall be yours; if not, you will be considered our subordinate. Alas, my son is not present at this time; had he been here, he alone would have faced both your sons."

In response to this letter, King Virendra Singh wrote the following, the summary of which we present below:

"You entered our kingdom and took away Kishori—was this not an act of force? Can this not be called the foundation of this war? If you return Kishori to us with honor, we shall certainly return to our home. Otherwise, remember this: we shall tear down every brick of this fort you are so proud of. We are also ready for single combat; let any man test his courage one-on-one. Your son is a prisoner here with me. If you send Kishori back to us, we are prepared to release him."

In reply to this letter, a single cannon shot rang out from the fort of Rohtasgarh. Now, there was no longer any doubt about the impending battle. The ayyārs on both sides readied themselves to display their skills, and what deeds they performed will be revealed as the story progresses.

Within the fort of Rohtasgarh, upon the terraces of the royal palace, many women had gathered...

The women were looking in the direction where Virendra Singh's army was camped. With Kunwar Kalyan Singh having been captured, Kishori felt a certain kind of relief, for her greatest fear had been the prospect of being married to him; she cared not a whit for her own death. Yet, not for a single moment could she forget Kunwar Indrajit Singh, whose image was etched upon her heart. Upon hearing of Virendra Singh's advance, she was filled with joy, and she too climbed up to her attic, gazing longingly in the direction where Virendra Singh's forces lay. Even though it was far from here, Kishori's eyes seemed to reach all the way there, searching through the crowd, striving to pick someone out.

At this time, Lali was with Kishori—the same Lali who, several days earlier, had frightened Kundan in Kishori's chamber by showing her the orange. Lali had been appointed to watch over Kishori, yet she showed her kindness. Kishori had tried several times to uncover the secret of the orange, but to no avail. Since that day, she had met Kundan many times, but when questioned, Kundan never said anything that would dispel Kishori's suspicions. Though they lived together daily in the same house, no further enmity appeared between Lali and Kundan, which only increased Kishori's amazement.

At this moment, besides Lali, there was no other woman with Kishori. Both were intently watching towards Virendra Singh's camp, when suddenly the memory of the orange incident returned to Kishori. After pondering for a while, she began to question Lali.

Kishori: "Lali, when I remember that day, or think upon it, Kundan's treachery becomes clear as day. If Kundan had been true, she would not have lunged to strike you, or if she had truly been planning to escape that day, she would have been distressed at her plan being foiled. Yet, instead of sorrow, she seemed pleased."

Lali: "No, she is not entirely false."

Kishori: "Was there some truth in what she said?"

Lali: "Certainly, there was."

Kishori: "What was it?"

Lali: