‘Can I be her, the Bhadra Kali?’ Tara asked innocently. ‘Of course! If you so choose,’ Father assured her and continued, ‘Shivrai says, vanquishing your enemy’s mind, hacking their belief that they are the most powerful, is far better than merely killing them on the battlefields.’ From the ashes of defeat, a spark caught—faint, furious and unyielding; it leapt from forts to forests, to the river basins. A woman rose to meet the challenge—Tara, literally a radiant star. She galvanized the resistance, crafted brilliant, unorthodox strategies, and fought with unyielding courage. Aurangzeb threw the full weight of his empire at them—over a million men, endless wealth, two decades of relentless war—and yet, the Maratha spirit refused to break. What the empire could not foresee was that the soil of the Deccan does not forget her children, nor forgive the desecration of her womb. Once again, military thunder rose from the Sahyadris’ spines. A widowed queen, wounded warriors and wilted minds—all became weapons, all became fire. This is the story of the indestructible Maratha queen, Tara of the Deccan.