Page 84 of A King's Oath

And…Avantika glanced down at her sock-clad feet. A princess running around the plane without her shoes!

“Oh my gawddd!”

She took a deep breath. It was better if she quietly went back to her seat and hid there all through the flight. She had work to do.

“Ok, go back home. And stay there,” she warned her reflection. Then fluffed her hair one last time, just in case, and stepped out of the lavatory.

“Your Highness,” the Air hostess was waiting for her, ready to escort her.

“Oh, it’s alight, I’ll find my way back. Thank you.”

The lesser the fanfare the better.

The Air hostess stepped back and Avantika took hesitant steps out to the cabin. It was years since she had seen him. She had to prep herself to see him again, even if from afar. All she had seen of him were photos and videos on Instagram, on his Polo Club’s posts because he didn’t have an account of his own, andthrough photos of common friends. All she had heard from him was a few minutes’ worth of voice every year — a day before his birthday. She would call to check if he was excited for his birthday. He would say he still wasn’t. And they would laugh it off. He only ever sent voice notes on her birthday. The same nine words every year. Only, his voice kept becoming deeper and deeper with every passing year.

“Hey Ava, Happy Birthday. Have a great year ahead.”

She kept thinking he would stop sending those voice notes. One year he would miss. Or send it late. And she would channel some anger and begin to push him to the back of her mind. Hedidlive in the back of her mind, but in this case, she hoped she would be able to push him further back.

Not because she wanted to get married and move on. That boat had sailed a long time ago. But Avantika wanted to live a good life with her career and her travel. Not think about him in random things. She didn’t want anything to do with him except those pre-birthday calls… she stopped short just as she crossed the edge of his front-row seats. His head was still buried in his magazine, no doubt about horses.

It was his birthday the day after tomorrow.

Avantika retraced the two steps she had taken away from his seat. 1F, she noted. A white gentleman was sitting beside him in 1E.

“Umm, hi, Samarth?” She called out slowly. His head whirled up. Shock, then surprise, and then the sweetest smile glowed from his big, dark eyes.

“A…” his mouth opened on the first syllable of her name. He closed it shut. And immediately stood to his feet, ever the gentleman. “Ava.”

“Hi,” she tucked the side of her hair behind her ear, not realising how coy that looked until she had done it. She pushed her hand down.

“Hi.”

“Hi…”

“Umm…” he glanced down at the man sitting between them, eyes swinging between them. Avantika was tongue-tied, a rare event. What had she thought of saying to him after getting his attention? Nothing! She had nothing to say to him except — “Happy birthday… in advance.”

He chuckled. Shy and soft. Even with that height, that man hair pushed back over his forehead and the stubble darkening his cheeks, his deep chuckle sounded exactly like that of the boy she had once known. He was dressed to the nines, unlike her. Even when travelling on a red eye flight, he was in a pair of dark suit pants and a sky blue shirt, his cuffs buttoned at his wrists like he was on a boardroom discussion.

“Thank you. Are you going to Paris?”

“All three of us are.”

“Three of us?”

“You, me and this flight,” she replied tongue-in-cheek.

“Dil Chahta Hai,” he smirked. Her mouth dropped open.

“Samarth my friend, when did you swap military dramas for romcoms?”

“I am not your fr…” he stopped, the smirk on his mouth slowly dying.

“Would you like to have a seat, madam?” The British gentleman asked.

“Oh umm…” Avantika looked at Samarth. He was indecisive, still blinking away the shock that had come belatedly. “Ummm… sure, if you don’t mind, sir. I am back there in 2K. A widow seat,” she grinned, trying to sell the better option.

“I do love myself some night sky. Come on then,” he got to his feet, reaching for his open laptop. She reached for his bag — “Let me help you!”

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