Page 13 of A King's Oath

Her face opened up and she returned a brilliant smile.

“Let me roll this for you, it must be heavy…” Samarth tried to pry the handle from her hands. She instantly gave up, falling in step beside him.

“Thank yoouuu,” she clasped her hands in front of her chest and cocked her head to the side. “It’s so heavy… but Coach Dhillon’s orders. The drinks should be rolled and ready, cooling by the pavilion.”

“It’s alright,” Samarth pushed the trolley down the freshly mowed grass, eyeing the Saraswati Crest stand where Ava was still nowhere to be seen.

“This must be nothing for you, no? You ride horses faster than anybody…” She touched his bicep, then poked it. “Whoa! Look at that…”

Samarth’s eyes found Ava’s and a smile as big as her eyes stretched across his face. But she didn’t return it. On thecontrary, her brows drew together. Samarth frowned. What was wrong?

He pushed the trolley faster, reaching the stands and kicking the brake into place.

“Hi, Samarth, Please help,” Niva waved, struggling with her shoelace after tying her kneepads. Samarth took his eyes off Ava to bend down and tie them for her.

“Thanks, bro!” She pulled her gloves on.

When he straightened, Ava was again nowhere to be found. He turned from side to side. She hadn’t worn her gear yet. Wasn’t she opening?

A loud announcement reverberated and the stadium erupted in a roar. Vedanta’s fielders spilt out into the ground from the opposite side. Dots of white on green. Samarth turned again to check, and there she was — ready.

Hair tied back, knee pads on, gloves tight, helmet over her pretty face, walking like a princess ready to battle with her bat in both hands. Samarth’s heart stopped beating. Under the bright sun, her all-white uniform glowed. He couldn’t see her eyes clearly behind the grill of her helmet but Samarth kept staring, waiting for her to come closer. She would be passing him to step onto the field.

“Go get them, Niva! Ava go!” The girls on their team screamed. Niva held her fist up in the air but Ava continued to walk, undisturbed. Samarth was fixated on that. How singleminded, how undisturbed, how focused she was. Shewouldneed it if Vedanta was out to heckle today.

“Good luck,” he murmured low as she passed him, careful not to disturb her concentration.

“Wish Niva,” she hissed. Samarth reared back. “Or Shreeya.”

He blinked, his mouth open as he stared at her back. Her fist bumped with Niva’s and they both jogged onto the field amid a stream of applause. Music, cheers and loud gongs announced the beginning of the match. Ava took her position at the non-striker’s end. The bowler said something to her. Ava did not respond.

As the bowler ran down the field to deliver her first ball, Samarth’s eyes remained on Ava, and her last words to him still floated around him. It took him from that moment to this to figure it out. And when he did, an incredulous feeling bubbled up his throat.

Shit.

Yes.

A chuckle escaped his lips.

The tempo of the stadium rose as the ball dropped on the pitch and swung with a bounce. Niva stepped out to knock it but didn’t anticipate the turn. It went straight into the stumps.

The stadium went silent.

“Howzattt!” Vedanta’s wicketkeeper jumped, the others joining with loud screams.

The umpire held his finger up. The stadium erupted. Samarth saw that Ava stood still. Undisturbed.

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90 for 3. 10 overs down.

The drinks break was announced.

Samarth realised he hadn’t moved from his position on the edge of the field when Shree began to reach for the trolley of drinks.He startled, gaping at a tired Ava march to the centre of the pitch to meet her new batting partner — Ruchi, and talk the next moves as the Vedanta gang gathered around them.

“I’ll take it, Shree, here,” Samarth lent her a hand in grabbing random bottles, stuffing them into a basket and gripping the handle in his fingers. Before she could protest or accompany him, Samarth turned to the pitch and broke into a jog.

“Aww, she thinks she’s Harmanpreet. Babe, even your cover drive has a trust fund,” one of them snickered.

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