Page 268 of A King's Oath

“Are you here because Sharan Kaka fell?” She asked.

His father’s smile widened into a grin — “I am here because I couldn’t wait to meet you. Sharan Kaka is just acting up to grab attention.”

Brahmi’s mouth dropped open in her preening smile. She was shy and proud and downright giddy in the same breath. Avantika worried. This was going too soon too fast and the whacko standing still with her eyes on her daughter did not spell any good omens.

“I was there and Sharan Kaka got hurt reaaaaly bad. My Papa dropped me off after our ride and you know I was practising my mallet swing. You know my Papa taught me the neck shot? Like this one?” She mimed. “And then my Papa was yelling at me. And then I saw the pony and I could not move at all! I wanted to run but I could not run and the pony was running sooo fast. And then Sharan Kaka pushed me and I got hurt here,” she showed the elbow that had bled and been bandaged at home. “But Sharan Kaka got hurt here,” she patted her bicep. “He promised me his sketchbook in… what did he say, Papa?”

“Nothing,” Samarth clipped. “I’ll get you a new sketchbook.”

“No, Sharan Kaka promised mehissketchbook!”

Samarth closed his eyes.

“Brahmi,” Avantika finally broke the intense moment. Two pairs of eyes whirled up to her — one familiar, and the other familiar too because they were the exact replica of Samarth’s. She joined her hands together and bent her head — “I’ll take her home now, you can take care of Sharan…”

“No I want to stay here and tell the whole story to Dada Sarkar!”

“Dada Sarkar?” Samarth’s father breathed, zapped.

She bobbed her head — “I asked my Papa what to call you when he showed me your photo and I said grandpère because my Nanaji is Nanaji. But he said he called his grandpère Dada Sarkar and I can call you that too!”

“You absolutely can!” He turned their hands until they were clasped together — her tiny one in his massive hand. And even then, he held her hand with such delicate tenderness.

“And you are my Dadi Sarkar?” Brahmi tilted sideways to look at the whacko. Avantika hissed quietly, bracing herself for some drama. This is what had been her biggest nightmare since Samarth had come back — exposing her daughter to his family drama with his stepmother at its centre.

“My Papa showed me your photo too and said you are my Dadi Sarkar,” Brahmi pointed, making the woman’s face break into a smile. She stepped closer and bent forward until she was eye to eye with Brahmi, holding out her hand. Brahmi chucked it and her smile widened, holding it high up, making Brahmi open hers for a return clap.

“If your Papa said it then it has to be true. He never lies.”

“He also never does wrong, even though he took me on an extra round when Mama wasn’t looking… before Sharan Kaka got hurt.”

His stepmother glanced up at him and something else passed. Not the tenderness that she was using with Brahmi. Something forbidding, like a rebuke. Was she mad about Sharan getting hurt? It wasn’t Samarth’s fault!

“He is right,” she brought her attention back to Brahmi, squeezing her hand — “Are you in too much pain?”

“This is burning,” she held up her elbow. Avantika stood back shocked when the whacko reached out and blew on it, thenreached inside her bag, grabbed a small bottle of water, and rubbed a few drops around the bandaid. “That’s a magic trick for any kind of hurt. I made Sharan Kaka apply water whenever he fell and came back home crying.”

“And my Papa?”

Silence.

“I made him take a full cold bath when he was burning in fever.”

“It feels cool now,” Brahmi pulled her elbow up to eye level, then blew.

“Come here, let me,” Samarth’s father pushed himself into one of the chairs and gathered her close, blowing on her elbow. “It’ll cool off more now, see…”

“Samarth,” his stepmother called him softly. “Can I speak to you?”

Avantika observed as they quietly slipped away. She glanced at Brahmi and her grandfather, who was busy inquiring about how much did she bleed — ‘this much’ and did she cry — ‘only this much.’ Avantika left them to it, following Samarth. If this woman dared tear into Samarth on her watch she would shred her to tatters.

“… and I am sorry,” Samarth was saying to her in a corner of the alley. Avantika stopped just out of their field of vision.

“He was my responsibility and I couldn't protect him. I promise he will be better. I assure you I will do everything in my power and beyond it for him to come back…”

“How can you be so careless?”

“I have been tearing myself up about that all day, Rajmata. But I never imagined in my wildest dreams that he would throw himself over Brahmi like that…”

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