Page 186 of A King's Oath

Papa’s return to Nawanagar was like the kingdom’s rebirth. For a few days after, everything felt new. Even the court and the office, even the business meetings and cricket matches at the club. Samarth accompanied him everywhere until Papa ordered him to go do ‘something else.’

“Like what?” He had asked.

“Your horses or something. Stop following me like I’ll fall over.”

“Oh but you will,” Maarani had taunted while passing them on her way to the garden. “Keep a watch on Papa.”

Papa had just glared at him and Samarth had given up on shadowing him. He had continued to hold court because Papahad physiotherapy sessions, rehab sessions and then Maarani would catch him to eat this or that at odd hours. Supplements, kadha, raab, milkshakes… Samarth pitied his father with some of the things she brought him.

He was far away from the chaos though, free to ride his horses after so long. Even with busy days at the court and then at the office, he would find time to ride early in the morning.

And, his new Marwari horse — Moti, pushed him harder to make time to tend to him, get to know him, unwind from the harshness of the last two months. But try as he might, Samarth could not leave behind the man he had become in these months. He fed his horses, brushed them, groomed them like he used to. He rode them, ran them through their exercises, tirelessly practised his own mallet swings. He abused his body to the point of exhaustion every night, so that he would fall into bed and immediately go to sleep. On nights that he couldn’t, he would think about that moment Ajatshatru Kaka had pushed his mobile into his hand and he had heard Papa’s voice for the first time. And sleep would come instantly.

What he had pushed off his mind was her. And even after convincing himself that there was nothing more waiting for him on that side, a small spark, somewhere inside the depths of his conscience, kept waiting. What if he could hand over the kingdom back to Papa? It would be as if the last two months hadn’t happened. Samarth was mature enough to know that even if they could go backwards for him, they wouldn’t go backwards for her. Theyshouldn’tgo backwards for her. He was a pathetic, weak man who hadn’t been able to back her up. Who had not put her on his priorities. Wasn’t allowed to by his own debts.

“Ehh!” Harsh signalled to him from afar. Samarth was just finishing the final signing after court. He read the gestures Harsh made.Rawal Maan is here.

Samarth waggled his eyebrows inconspicuously.

Chandi Haveli

Samarth pushed the padded folders back into his court scribe’s hand and began to stride towards Chandi Haveli.

“Rawal Samarth padhare chhe!” The guard announced as he strode into the receiving hall.

“What have you done, Siddharth?” Maan bhai was telling his Papa. “Taken my best polo prodigy and made him into your Rawal!”

“He can do both, I’m sure…”

Samarth grinned, clicking down the three steps and into the arms of Maan bhai who stood up to give him a backslapping hug.

“You are staying, Rawal? I have to show you my new Marwari horse.”

“I came to meet your father after his death-defying stunts in Antarctica but ok, I’ll stay to see your horse. How are you managing both?”

“It’s temporary, so I am not too worried.”

“No,” Papa interrupted. “It’s not temporary.”

Samarth stood back, stunned. “Papa…”

“You are the Rawal of Nawanagar now.”

No way!

“But you are back.”

“And I will be here to oversee everything. But I am Bade Rawal now.”

“That was a title created for Dada Sarkar because he couldn’t work on a daily basis.”

“I will happily carry it, and I will work on a daily basis. But you are the Rawal now. You sat on that throne, your Rajmata did your tilak. It’s done.”

Samarth panicked. He felt closed in, like the freedom of the last few days, the spark of hope was again going away… He glanced at Maarani. She had to stop this. She would stop this for Sharan, wouldn’t she?

“Papa is right, Samarth,” she said tenderly instead. “You are doing a great job.”

“But…” he stuttered, grasping at straws. "I want to play polo.”

---