Page 296 of A King's Oath

Samarth gave her an ‘I-told-you-so’ look. She cuffed his throat and shook it hard.

“I just thought that in case she is unable to sleep there I’ll come and take her…” Samarth managed solemnly between her assaults, holding her arms down. “She also hogs the bed.”

“I’ll find out one way or another.”

Samarth’s face suddenly morphed from amusement into thought. She frowned at him, waggling her eyebrows.

“Was there anything else, Samarth?” His father caught on too.

He hesitated, eyes still on her, then blurted out — “The DNA test.”

Avantika sat back, stroking his chest, over his heart, rubbing the area in soothing circles.

“This is not the time to be emotional about it, Samarth,” his father was soft about it this time, unlike his stance at dinner. Samarth switched to handset as his father went on. She respected that. His eyes found hers and paused.

“No. She wants me to do it,” he answered. “It just feels wrong to me. How will I look at Brahmi when she grows up and discovers that I needed a test to figure out that she was my daughter.”

She loves you,Avantika mimed, making him smile. His father must have had a longer monologue on the other end because he sighed. Long and hard. He was sighing a lot nowadays, as if tensions held for lifetimes were finally releasing.

“Hmm… alright,” he agreed. Then chuckled. “Rajmata and her moon are always waiting.”

What was that about?Avantika pushed her ear back to his phone.

“Brahmi is dreaming right now of the moon talking to her so be careful,” she managed to hear his father.

“Yes, Bade Rawal.”

“Are you in your room? Check on Sharan.”

Samarth’s eyes widened, meeting hers. She snickered.

“I checked, he was asleep.” The good boy lied.Liar— she mouthed, tickling his chin. He slapped her hand away.

“Alright. Go to sleep now. You have long days starting tomorrow.”

“Yes, Papa.”

Samarth ended the call and swooped her over him, rolling her to his other side until she was wedged underneath him.

“Liar, huh?”

“You didn’t check on Sharan,” she giggled.

“I did. Before coming here. He was pretending to sleep thinking I was Papa.”

“Then?”

“I let him believe it. Who knows? He’ll sleep early tonight pretending.”

“You have become such a spoilsport. Once you used to keep him awake for your Late Night Boys’ Club,” she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He kissed her, pushing his tongue inside her mouth and settling his hips between hers.

“I am a father now and suddenly concerned about my injured brother’s sleeping habits,” he palmed the top of her head and angled her face to take his tongue better.

“Why am I hot with you talking domestic stuff?” She moved her hips.

He grinned, pulling up and whipping his towel off — “Your memory has been successfully jogged, Raje.”

“So all the way then?”

---