Page 188 of A King's Oath

“Just asking. That night in Gwalior… you kissed. Did something happen?”

“Why? What’s the matter?”

“No… she has been acting weird and… ow! Umm… Kresha thinks… blames you.”

It is me.

“Feel free to ask me to mind my own business but… she is worried about Ava. Frankly, I am too. She flew back to Paris the day after our final function. And now she has announced that she is permanently moving there. So.”

“What do you want me to say?” Samarth felt his head bow further under the weight of his words, his deeds, his wrongdoings.

“Did you make this happen?”

“Ava and I have been done for a long time,” Samarth answered with the truth. The partial truth.

“As I thought,” Gopi took it in the context he understood best. “Thanks, man. And sorry… for being nosy. Newly married men have to behave like they are whipped.”

“Is Kresha there to hear you say that?”

“She heard your confession and left.”

“Aah.”

“Ok, I’ll let you go now. Take care of yourself and now that you are the king… try and spare some time to play a match here and there.”

“Me spare time?Youhave been off the field for years.”

“I’ll come and play a friendly match if something comes up.”

“I’ll let you know if it does.”

Never. I cannot bear to hear about her or be close to her relatives.

“Samarth!” Rajmata’s holler sounded. “Samarth!”

He turned. Her birthday cake was bright with candles, everybody gathered around it, Giriraj Hukum looking like he wanted the first piece.

“Alright, Gopi, I need to go. Congratulations on your wedding and all the very best.”

“Thanks, I’ll see you around.”

He ended the call and sprinted back to the pergola.

“Happy birthday, Rajmata,” he smiled at her.

“Cut the cake with them,” she pointed.

He looked at Sharan and Maan bhai’s kids — Ragini and Advait lined up in front of the cake, knife in hand. Holding on by a fine thread.

“Let the kids cut it,” he laughed.

“You also belong in that category, now come.”

He hesitated.

Giriraj Hukum grabbed his arm and pushed him into that crowd. The kids blew the candles and cut the cake to hoots and cheers. He clapped along. Fireworks lit the Nawanagar skyline and the Queen of Hearts written over the cake was quickly sliced for the kids to start digging in.

Samarth accompanied his family to the dinner table arranged under the brightly lit night sky, staring at all the happypandemonium around him. Kids, cake, Hukum, fist dibs on chairs, more fireworks.

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