Watch: Devika Rangachari reads from her novel Queen of Fire, about Rani Lakshmibai's flight from Jhansi

Editor’s Note: Lakshmibai, the widowed queen of Jhansi, is determined to protect her son’s right to his father’s throne and safeguard the welfare of her kingdom. Faced with machinations to take over Jhansi, at a time when all of India is rising up against the British, she has to prove her valour and sagacity time and again. But will this be enough to save all that she values? In her latest novel, Queen of Fire, award-winning historical novelist Devika Rangachari throws light on the interior life of this nineteenth-century queen, thrust into a position she does not desire but must assume, and of her son, who is cowed by the challenges he has to face but determined to live up to his mother’s courage. The following is an excerpt read by Rangachari (along with a text version of the same) from her book, Queen of Fire that has been reproduced here with due permission from the publisher Penguin Random House India.

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The Flight of the Fugitives

4 April 1858 Damodar stood uncertainly by the fort’s main entrance. His mother was surrounded by her officials and companions, and seemed to be issuing rapid instructions to them. A horse waited in the shadows — he could hear its whinny and the occasional stamp of its hooves. The night air was pleasant after the intense heat of the day but he was too ill at ease to enjoy it. At long last, his mother broke away from the crowd and came towards him. He raised anxious eyes to her face as she knelt beside him and took his hands in hers. ‘My son, we have to leave Jhansi now.’ Her tone was gentle but the words smote his heart. ‘Where are we going?’ he whispered. ‘To a place called Kalpi, not far from here. It’s just you and me with some other soldiers, but there might be some dangers ahead, so you must obey my orders at all times.’ Fearsome visions instantly began to float through his mind and the giant was squeezing his stomach so hard that he felt as if he would throw up at any moment. ‘Is it the British? Is that why we must go? Have we lost to them?’ She took a deep breath and stood up. ‘Not yet, my son, not yet — but we must go if you are to be king of Jhansi someday. And now, you must be brave. Like the king you will be. Promise me that.’ He swallowed hard and nodded, too overwrought for words. The stable attendant led a brown horse forward and Damodar realised that they would be riding Badal, not Sarangi. ‘Sarangi can be seen very easily because she is white,’ murmured his mother, as if she guessed what was going through his mind. ‘Badal is less conspicuous, so he will take us safely to Kalpi.’ She sprang lightly up on the horse’s back and held her hands out for Damodar. The attendant hoisted him up and they settled him astride the horse. His mother turned sideways and tied a silken sash around both of them, securing it with a tight knot. ‘See, you are safe now, Damodar,’ she said softly. ‘You are tied to me and I to you. Whatever happens, we will face it together.’ A warm, reassuring feeling began to spread all over him and with that, his fears slowly melted away. The giant fist ceased to squeeze his stomach and he sat up straighter, his hands around his mother’s waist. ‘We will face it together,’ he repeated. She gave him one of her beautiful smiles. ‘My beloved son.’ And already, it was time to go. The soldiers who were to ride with them moved their horses into line, waiting for the rani’s signal. Damodar took one last look at the people around him: the weeping maids and attendants; his grandfather, who had bid them a gruff farewell; and his mother’s friends who would be staying back. For some reason, Jhalkaribai was dressed exactly like his mother with the same armour, tunic and turban. She smiled sadly at him now and he bobbed his head slightly, reluctant to loosen his grip. They were off now, Badal gathering speed as he moved into the darkness. Damodar laid his head on his mother’s back and watched her hands on the reins. They moved ever so slightly once in a while when she wanted Badal to do her bidding. Now and then, she reached behind and patted Damodar’s knee. Each touch made him stronger, more confident. His fears still clamoured for attention but he pushed them away. And then, out of the night, voices hailed them. He felt his mother stiffen and haul on the reins to check Badal’s speed. The voices belonged to the British — Damodar had heard that strange accent many times before. ‘Stop! Who goes there? Identify yourselves!’ A torch flared and in the flickering light, Damodar could see several British soldiers pointing swords and guns at them! Also read on Firstpost — Queen of Fire: Read an excerpt from Devika Rangachari’s novel about Rani Lakshmibai, the rebellion simmering in Jhansi

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Devika Rangachari’s Queen of Fire released on 12 April, 2021 and is published by Duckbill - an imprint of Penguin Random House India | 2021 | 124 Pages (Paperback) | Rs 250 (9780143453222)