Page 274 of A King's Oath

“Give me to her.”

Avantika toggled the speaker on — “You are on speaker.”

“Hi, baby.”

“Papa?” Her head popped up from her side. “Where are you?”

“I am at the hospital. What about you? Did you sleep well?”

“Mmmm… where is Dada Sarkar and Dadi Sarkar?”

“Dada Sarkar is talking to somebody outside and Dadi Sarkar is with Sharan Kaka.”

“Sharan Kaka woke up?” She came even more awake.

“Yes, he woke up. And you know what was the first thing he asked?”

“What?”

“Where is my sketchbook?”

Brahmi giggled, the sound husky and happy. Avantika squeezed her in and bent down to kiss her head.

“I want to come there!”

“You can come here after you have finished all that Mama asks you do to.”

“I miss you,” she squelched a loud kissing sound. “Bye!”

“I miss you too. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Brahmi was already out of her room, likely to run around the garden and swing to come fully awake. That was her vacation-time morning routine.

“Ava?”

“Hmm?”

“I heard Papa. He was on a steamroll. If you want to say no, I am your person. He won’t let you.”

“Do you not want us to come?”

“I want you to come more than anything else.”

Her heartbeat settled. Her breath came easy.

“Then I have a few calls to make and they may go on all morning.”

“Your parents.”

“And Kresha. I don’t know what they’ll say.”

“I am here for whatever you need. I am ready to face them, whatever they throw at me.”

“Hmm…”

“And listen to me carefully now, Ava,” Samarth’s tone shifted, becoming heavy and commanding. “You come with me or I stay back — it’s the three of us now. I will prove it to you over and over again. But try not to work yourself up over what-ifs. Because where I am concerned, there is no what if. I am. And I will be. Alright?”

Her eyes misted.

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