Chapter 12: The Lion in Chains
1. The Mughal Camp – A Captive King
The battle was over. Hemu, wounded and bound in heavy chains, was dragged into the Mughal war camp outside Delhi. The once-proud king, who had nearly driven the Mughals out of Bharat, now stood in front of Bairam Khan, Akbar's regent and the real power behind the Mughal throne.
The Mughal soldiers, their armor smeared with blood and dust, watched with curiosity and awe. This was the man who had humiliated them on the battlefield, who had shattered their forces time and time again.
Bairam Khan stood before the captive warrior, his face calm but his eyes burning with triumph.
Bairam Khan: "Hemu, you fought well. But in the end, even the greatest warriors fall."
Hemu, despite his pain, raised his head and smirked.
Hemu: "Fall? You think Bharat's fight is over just because I am in chains? I have planted the seeds of revolution. One day, they will grow into a storm that will sweep you from this land."
Bairam Khan's expression hardened. He had seen many warriors break under captivity—Hemu was different.
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2. The Arrival of Young Akbar
As the sun began to set, a young boy of fourteen rode into the camp—the Mughal Emperor Akbar himself. He was still a child, but the weight of an empire already rested on his shoulders.
Bairam Khan greeted him respectfully. "Jahanpanah, our greatest enemy stands before you. He defied us, took Delhi, and nearly ended Mughal rule. What shall be done with him?"
Akbar looked at the chained warrior. Hemu was bloodied but unbroken, standing tall despite his wounds. There was something majestic and terrifying about him.
For a moment, Akbar hesitated. He had been raised in battlefields, but this was the first time he had to decide the fate of a great enemy.
Hemu, meeting Akbar's gaze, smirked again.
Hemu: "You are but a child. Your empire is a borrowed one, built on the blood of my people. The day will come when Bharat will rise, and the Mughals will be nothing but a forgotten tale."
Bairam Khan's face darkened. He knew that as long as Hemu lived, rebellion would always burn in the hearts of Bharatiya warriors.
He turned to Akbar. "There can be no peace while he lives, Jahanpanah. This man must be executed."
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3. The Execution – Or So They Thought
The decision was made. Hemu was to be beheaded at dawn.
A Mughal soldier dragged him towards the execution platform. His hands were bound, his armor stripped away, but his spirit remained unshaken.
As he stood before the executioner, the soldiers whispered among themselves.
"This man was a common merchant, yet he nearly crushed the Mughals…"
"Even in chains, he stands like a king…"
The executioner raised his sword. The blade glinted under the morning sun.
And then—
A sudden explosion rocked the camp.
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4. The Resistance Strikes
The blast sent shockwaves through the Mughal camp. Before anyone could react, a storm of arrows rained down on the soldiers.
A secret force of Rajput and Hindu warriors had launched an ambush to rescue their king.
Bairam Khan shouted orders, but chaos had already erupted. The Mughal soldiers scrambled for their weapons as the attackers charged in from the hills.
Hemu's most loyal general, Raghunath Rao, led the charge.
Raghunath Rao: "For Bharat! For our King!"
The battle turned into a massacre.
Hemu, seeing his warriors fight, felt his blood boil with renewed strength. A soldier tried to pull him away, but he turned and headbutted the man, knocking him unconscious.
He grabbed a fallen sword and, despite his injuries, joined the battle.
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5. The Great Escape
The fight was brutal, but the resistance fighters had one goal—rescue their king and escape.
Hemu, fighting through the pain of his wounds, cut down Mughal soldiers left and right.
Bairam Khan, seeing the tide turning, ordered a retreat.
The resistance broke through the Mughal defenses and rushed Hemu onto a waiting horse.
Raghunath Rao: "Maharaj, we must leave now!"
Hemu hesitated for a moment, watching the burning camp. He had been at the edge of death—but destiny was not done with him yet.
With one final glance at Akbar and Bairam Khan, he turned his horse and rode into the night.
Delhi had been lost.
But the war was far from over.
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6. The Road to Revenge
By dawn, the resistance had reached a hidden fortress deep in the Rajputana hills.
Hemu, now out of immediate danger, gathered his generals.
Hemu: "We lost a battle, but not the war. The Mughals think they have won, but we will rise again. We will reclaim Delhi, we will unite Bharat, and we will destroy every invader who sets foot on our land!"
His warriors cheered.
From this moment, the real fight for Bharat's freedom had begun.
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