Page 215 of A King's Oath

“Woh bhi aati hai,” he chuckled, gathering her close as his car door was pulled opened. Ava stood there.

“Mama, are we getting a pony home?” The little girl switched immediately, turning her body and pushing her face into Ava’s chest.

“No,” Ava reached for her.

“We got a knight to go with it. What will he do without his pony?”

“He is not a knight, he is a… kind man who helped us.”

Samarth felt that stake hit deep in his chest.

“Are you a kind man?” She turned to him, her ponytail whipping across her face with the speed of her change of subjects.

“We don’t ask people that.” Ava took her hand, tugging her down the car — “Come on now.”

“Bye!” She waved her hand on his chest.On his chest.Samarth sat fascinated, frozen, as she jumped down and ran towards her house.

“I have called an Uber for you,” Ava pointed at him. “It will be here in 8 minutes. Do you want some water or coffee in the meantime?”

Samarth stared at her. She stared back.

“Mama!!!!” A scream echoed from the garden. Without thinking Samarth jumped out of the car and dashed. His heart in his mouth, he ran and rounded the stone-paved path, only to gape at the little girl. She was half bent over some flowers, eyes popped open wide.

“Shhhh,” she warned without looking back. “It’s the fat black bee. He is back. See he is doing that poliing thing you told me, Mama…”

“Polli-nating.” Ava corrected from behind him. Samarth panted, eyeing her walk past him and to her daughter, her bag and bottle in hand. “Now open the door and go set your things in their place. Let him pollinate in peace.”

Samarth gaped as she handed her the keys and the little girl took her bag, bottle and keys and skipped to the backdoor, trailing her free hand through the bed of lavenders and pulling it back to her nose for a whiff. Then, like a pro she picked the right keyfrom the bunch, jammed it into the keyhole and twisted it open. He wasn’t allowed to be proud but he was so proud. The door swayed behind her and he kept absorbing the idyllic scents and winds and the birdsongs and bees.

“You can wait here,” Ava said. He glanced at her, her arm extended out to a small pergola in the garden with a white picnic table and colourful chairs around it. “I have a call I cannot miss, so please see yourself out. There is security at the gate so don’t worry about anything else.”

With that, she turned around and walked to the back door. She stepped in, bag and all, and shut the door with a quiet click without looking back. Like a parched beggar he stood there, seeing through the crossed window — the little girl dancing around, Ava handing her a plate of food. She jumped up and down, said something then disappeared from his view. Ava picked up a laptop, grabbed something that looked like a sipper and disappeared behind her too. Samarth kept looking through the windows visible to him. But they never came back into view.

A car honk broke him out of his search. He glanced over his shoulder.

“Bonjour, monsieur…” Samarth stumbled at those words accompanied by a car honk. He turned, and found an Uber waiting for him. He stared at it a second longer, then gained gumption — striding towards it while reaching for his wallet and pulling out a wad of cash — “Veuillez annuler mon trajet.[88]”

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“Hi! Are you our new security guard?”

Samarth knocked his elbow on the table as he whirled at that voice in his ear. And there she was. The little girl with a big grin, her round eyes curious. Even when curious, her eyes laughed.

“Eh, where did you come from?” He demanded playfully. He had, like a certified creep, kept his eyes on the back door, waiting for Ava to finish her call and make an appearance. An hour… or more had elapsed but she had not passed. Her mini-me did.

“I have secret tunnels,” her head cocked at right angle and came so close to his. Samarth laughed, holding his hand out. She had fallen into his lap out of need earlier. He wouldn’t breach that line again unless she wanted him to. And he was prouder of her when she glanced at his hand, thought for a moment, and then only gave him a low-five. She did not take his hand. He wanted her to, but he was also glad that she hadn’t yet.

“Can you share some secrets with me?”

“Why?”

“Because… I was a kind man.”

“Mama said not to ask people that.”

“She is right,” he nodded. “But since you asked me, and I heard you, it’s alright.”

“So are you kind?”

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