Just a gut feeling...!

After the remaining 100 trebuchets retreated outside the firing range of the Ballistas, the Rajput cheers grew louder and louder. It was the first major victory they had over the so-called 'Royal Forces' of Alauddin Khilji.

Although in the first attack, The fort received some damage, It was still incomparable to the damage received by the enemy forces. Still, there were two people inside the fort who were not satisfied with the result he had achieved.

'The enemy commander reacted too fast…'

Both Aarv and Maharawal Ratan Simha thought the same thing as they looked at the Khilji army in the distance. If not for the enemy commander giving a signal to retreat the trebuchets in time, Aarv had planned to destroy all the trebuchets in one go.

'Well, I can't expect 100% results all the time…'

Aarv thought as he walked back towards his house. He knew that today's battle was over. He wanted to get some rest but he was stopped on the way by someone.

"Hukum asked for your presence inside the royal hall…"

It was an old man with a wrinkled face. He observed Aarv with his half-opened eyes as he led Aarv towards the royal hall. Aarv did not think and just followed after the old man. Although the old man looked old, His walking speed surprised even Aarv. While walking, the old man suddenly said,

"What you did today was good… really good…"

"It is nothing much… I just don't want Hindustan to lose its freedom…" Aarv replied very honestly. In every historical event that was his ultimate goal to not let an inch of territory fall into the enemy's hands.

"Ohh…" There was a strange light in the old man's eyes as he looked at Aarv, hidden behind his surprised face was also a bit of disappointment. He knew that Aarv was not loyal to their king but shared the same interest as him.

'As long as he is not an enemy of mevad…'

The old man thought as he quickened his face. How could Aarv not tell what the old man was thinking? So, he deliberately made a line between himself and the royal family.

Soon enough,

Both men walked inside the royal hall of Chittod. When Maharawal Ratan Simha saw them entering the royal hall, he first looked at the old man and saw him shaking his head. The king was a bit disappointed by this but by the time he looked at Aarv, His disappointment turned into a gentle smile as he said, "Sit…"

Aarv bowed toward the king and sat down in his position.

The other officials along with the old man sat on their respective seats as the king started today's meeting. In the meeting, Maharaval Ratan Simha asked questions to his various ministers about food, water and shelters. While everything seemed normal, the conversation stopped at one question,

"What next..?"

Although they repelled the first siege attack by the Khilji forces, it again put them in position zero. All the ministers along with the king thought the same thing as they discussed how to counteract Khilji forces.

Aarv looked at the scene calmly. This was his first time joining in such a high-level meeting where all the ministers were debating against one another to prove their point. Suddenly, he heard the king say,

"What do you think Aarv…"

The whole hall got silent immediately as all the ministers looked at Aarv simultaneously. They had a deep respect for Aarv who single-handedly brought their king back from the clutches of Alauddin Khilji and also defeated the Khilji forces.

This sudden question startled Aarv a bit as he quickly gained control over his emotions and said,

"In my opinion, Alauddin will soon send an emissary to Chittod to force us out of the fort of Chittod…"

All the ministers looked at Aarv with a bit of scepticism. Why would they leave the fort of Chittod which already defended them from one attack?

The king was not disturbed by other ministers' thoughts as he asked seriously, "Why…?"

Aarv was unfazed by all the minister's stares as he said, "It is just a gut feeling…"

---

While the meeting was progressing smoothly inside the Fort of Chittod, The same could not be said for the meeting held in Khilji camp. Their sultan was already angry about the loss of 100 trebuchets so, no one dared to speak loudly. Except for one person.

That person was the same person that managed to escape from the fort of Chittod, Hafeez Khan.

He looked at Alauddin Khilji and said, "As long as the sultan lured the main Rajput army out of the fort of Chittod, we can enter inside the fort by a secret tunnel which I found…"

When Hafeez Khan was mapping out the fort of Chittod, he came across a secret tunnel which was hidden from the public eyes. The tunnel was ancient and was probably forgotten by the people after centuries had passed. The tunnel connected the outer ring of the fort to a certain village on the periphery of Chittod.

Hafeez Khan's original plan was to wait for the Rajput army to leave the fort because of the constant barrage from the trebuchets and stealthily enter the fort with his guards to conquer the fort. But, his plan was shot down by Aarv's Ballistas.

So, he could only reveal the matter of the tunnel to Alauddin Khilji and gain merit that way. Alauddin Khilji also did not disappoint him as he said, "Your idea is good… But, the main problem is how do we get those rats out of their hideout…"

At that time, Alauddin's slave general, Malik Kafur said, "I have just the right idea for such a thing…"

"Ohh…" Alauddin raised his eyebrows as he looked toward Malik Kafur

"When we attacked the surrounding villages, we caught some slaves on the way… Basters refused to accept Islam…" Malik Kafur said with slight anger in his tone.

"Hahahaha… What a great idea…" Alauddin however burst out laughing as he stood up from his throne… He patted Malik Kafur's shoulder and said,

"Go and tell all the Rajputs that if they won't come out of their hiding hole before tomorrow morning, I will slaughter 100 people every hour until they came out…"