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