Chapter 1 – The Letter from Delhi
The night in Ahmednagar was heavy with the scent of rain.Beyond the palace walls, the wind howled like a restless spirit, rattling the iron torches that guarded the gates. Inside, the marble corridors stood in perfect silence — save for the faint echo of footsteps that seemed to vanish before they could be placed.
Chand Bibi sat alone in the audience chamber, the vast hall lit only by a single brass oil lamp. Its flame swayed with every draft, throwing shadows across the tall pillars, stretching them into something almost alive. She had been waiting for hours, summoned by a courier who claimed to carry a message of grave urgency.
When the great doors finally creaked open, the man who entered was cloaked from head to toe. Water dripped from his boots onto the polished floor. He bowed, wordless, and extended a sealed parchment bound with crimson wax. The seal was unmistakable — the imperial insignia of Delhi.
Chand Bibi's gaze sharpened. The Emperor rarely wrote himself.She broke the wax and unfolded the letter.
"To the Regent of Ahmednagar,Your city stands on the edge of ruin. The Mughals march, but their steel is not your greatest threat. Trust not your council, for one among them bleeds your walls from within.The traitor wears no enemy's face.Before the first cannon fires, they will open your gates.— A friend."
No signature. No seal beyond the imperial one. The ink was still damp — as if written only hours ago.
Her fingers tightened on the parchment. The letter was not an imperial order; it was a warning. But from whom? And how had it arrived bearing Delhi's seal without coming directly from Akbar?
A sudden rustle behind her.Chand Bibi turned sharply — but the corridor was empty.
She glanced again at the letter, feeling the weight of its words. The council would meet in the morning. Twelve men she had known for years. Twelve men who had fought beside her. Twelve men — and one traitor.
The lamp's flame guttered. The shadows lengthened.Somewhere deep in the palace, a bell tolled once — and then fell silent.
By dawn, the first messenger from the Mughal camp would arrive.And Chand Bibi knew: the war for Ahmednagar had already begun… from inside.
To be continued...........