Page 115 of A King's Oath

“Was this dinner to feed me, then belittle me, then insult me?”

“No, Ava… no! Of course not. I didn’t plan to talk all this.”

“Then what did you plan?”

He went silent.

“You said you did not arrange this for making up to me, you did not come prepared to talk this bullshit to me, then what did you come to do?”

He remained silent.

“Answer me now. Don’t you dare shut up.”

His eyes lowered, taking those deep dark pits away from her. Long moments passed. He did not say anything. And the sunset completely, leaving the sky dark, pierced with tiny, very tiny stars. Far and few, barely visible from this centre of the city.

“I think I should go now,” Avantika said finally and braced her palm on the ground to lift off. His hand fell over hers — “I am sorry.”

His voice sounded hoarse. Like he had just woken up from a deep sleep.

“For what?”

“For knowingly, unknowingly dragging you into this. How was I to know that my decisions at 15 would lead to this? To you… becoming like this. And before you launch into another angry tirade, let me clarify — you are brilliant. So brilliant that I am unable to look at you.Imade a decision,Iswore an oath.Iforsook my father’s throne, my ancestor’s kingdom and a family. You were a part of me then but I did not imagine you would still be a part of me. In your head at least.”

“Am I a part of you inyourhead?”

He laughed bitterly, his eyes meeting hers for a second and then again looking away. “Can’t you tell?”

Avantika pulled her hand from below his, set it atop his, and gave it a gentle pat. Something very agitated inside her had finally laid to rest. She hadn’t realised it all these years, but a part of her had always niggled. That she was unable to move on from a boy who might be living his life, at least on the surface, with all the joys of the world. A part of her had wished for that, another hated it.

Now, knowing they had sailed in the same boat for the last decade, put that disturbed, agitated part to rest.

“Then that’s my dream-dream.”

His eyes squeezed shut. His head shook, even as a tired chuckle left his mouth. How did he look so tired at just 26?

Avantika patted the back of his hand again.

“Next time you plan this, remember to get a bunch of grapes and wear a waist chain.”

He laughed. Full-bodied, unable-to-stop, tearing-up-from-the-sides-of-his-eyes laugh. The real Samarth Solanki from Saraswati Crest laugh.

21. All Of It

SAMARTH

I’m in Paris for an afternoon. Free to meet for a quick lunch?

AVANTIKA

Make that a long lunch. I always have long lunches here. 1 pm.

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AVANTIKA

How is this for Vikram Dada’s birthday gift?

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