Page 72 of A King's Oath

“No,” Samarth replied sheepishly, glancing between them. “Vishnu played very well. There was no chance I could beat him that day.”

“Good luck explaining that to Maan.”

“Yuvraj will understand,” Maarani smiled at him. “Even he didn’t win all the time. Nobody can.”

“No,” Papa quipped, glancing at him. “But he will want his prodigy to win at all times.”

Samarth had to agree. Maan bhai wasn’t averse to losing games but he was so competitive that he wanted to keep trying till the last second of the last chukker. Samarth had learnt to keep his spirit up from him, to be in the game until the last whistlesounded. He finished his glass of milk just as Ajatshatru Kaka entered the dining room.

“Rawal, everything is ready.”

“Yes,” Papa set his napkin down.

“What is ready?” Maarani asked.

“A surprise.”

“For me?”

“For both of you. Come.” Papa got to his feet, rounding the table to playfully cuff his neck. “Let’s go.”

They walked out of the palace and into the Badam Baag gardens, Maarani behind them. There in the far distance, a podium was set up in the foreground of a curtained flex, media reporters and journalists filling rows and rows of chairs.

“What is this?” Maarani gasped from behind him.

“Come,” Papa glanced over their shoulders.

“Sid, I’m not dressed for this.”

“You look perfect. Samarth?”

Samarth turned and smiled at her — “You look great, Maarani.”

“Learning tactics from your father is going to take you very far in life,” she pointed.

Samarth laughed, hoping it sounded like a laugh. That route was barred for him. Ava would walk ahead on it though.

As they neared the podium, Samarth fell back from his father’s hold, making space for Maarani. Protocol dictated that she precede him. The media barrage scrambled to their feet and Papa took the stage, walking to the podium as they hung back on the grass.

“Jai Dwarkadhish,” Papa folded his hands. “Thank you all for coming at such short notice. This project has been in the pipeline for the last three months and we wanted to keep it quiet until the last moment. That is why nobody received a pre-release packet.”

Camera shutters clicked.

“Ever since I was a child, I have been passionate about nature. Trees. Wildlife. Marine life… My father, Bade Rawal, in his time, worked extensively towards conservation of lions, panthers, Indian Grey wolves, and blackbucks in our region. In my tenure as Rawal of Nawanagar, I was fortunate to successfully create fifteen major catchment areas and protection zones for the marine life in our rivers and sea. Now, it is time to create a sanctuary for the birds — both ours and migratory.”

He turned his head and his eyes zeroed in on Maarani, before he looked back at the media — “I met Maarani Tarini Sinh Solanki on a bird island, and I was pleasantly surprised as well as fascinated byherfascination for birds. That is why, when this project came up, I knewjustthe person to lead it. Now, I would like Maarani to come up and unveil this project.”

Maarani’s gaze fell on him and Samarth grinned, clapping with everybody else — “Go, Maarani.”

She slowly climbed the two steps up to the podium and pulled the string holding the curtain over the flex.

Tara Aviary & Bird Sanctuary

The applause turned deafening, the flashes blinding. Papa leaned again into the mic, thwarting the applause — “Now since Bade Rawal has had the privilege of serving the animals of Nawanagar, I have had the privilege of serving the marine life, it is my wish that your next Rawal — Kunwar Samarth Sinh Solanki take this honour of serving the birds of Nawanagar.”

The applause again turned feral. Samarth froze.

Papa glanced at him, nodding, inviting him up with that silent gesture. Samarth did not move. He could not go. Papa’s face slowly changed, going from happy to confused. And Maarani was looking at him with horror.

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