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The Kingdom of Udaipur- Flash Fiction.
He walked up, up the road towards the Maharaja's fort. The fort had a a circumference of thirteen kilometres. He remembered how he played at the foothills of Chitor when he was just seven to eight years old. Now in his teens he climbed up the fort.
'' Whom do you want?'' the sentry asked with his rasping voice.
'' I want to see the Maharaja'' he said.
'' Go away litlle boy. Don't you know the Mughals are on the rampage? The mighty Akbar has sent his forces, under our very own Man Singh''.
He nodded, and danced down the hill, to the plain area. There the cattle were grazing.
If I was the King.
Yes, if I was the KIng. I would fight the mighty Mughals, to preserve my land and kingdom. A gentle breeze blew.
'' Where were you? '' his mother asked anxiously.
'' Don't you know the mighty Mughals will come any time now. We are in preparation. The nation of Udaipur is in siege. Rana Pratap has sworn protection.
'' What is protection, Mother? ''
'' Look son, we in Mewar do not believe in expanding our Kingdom. But we believe in protecting it from the alien forces''.
Sounds of foot horses.
Sounds of foot horses.
Gun claps, thunderous volleys.
Father, mother, brother, sister...
Rise up you of Mewar. We can never be vanquished. The ancient kindom of Udaipur, with its beautiful lakes, supine waters will never cease to exist. Rani Padmini was not defiled. She took to Jauhar. Udaipur cannot be ravished.
His eyes closed, his mother was singing an ancient song of Udaipur's history.
14-Jan-2013
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Ananya S Guha
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