Page 259 of A King's Oath

“Papaaa!” Brahmi shook him from the waist.

“Yes, beta,” he laughed, punching Parmeshwar’s number again. “I am calling him.”

The shrill house bell tore through the hall. Brahmi jumped, running towards the door — “It’s here!”

“You’re going to make her a pakka Gujarati,” Ava sulked close to him. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side — “Sheisa Gujarati. You’ve been trying for years with poha and sev. What did she like? Jalebi-fafda and white dhokla,” he whispered in her ear, jumping back from her elbow.

“Bhai?”

His head whirled to the open doorway.

“Hi, did you get my idli-thing?” Brahmi demanded. Sharan’s head bent, and his mouth dropped open. Just as Brahmi’s mouth blew up in an O. She turned to him — “Look it’s your brother, Papa!”

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Sharan’s eyes behind his glasses were the rounds that Brahmi’s mouth always was. Strangely, he had never noticed this about his own brother in 18 years.

Samarth stood in front of him in Ava’s garden, waiting for the shock to wear off. He could sense the curtain swivel from side to side in his peripheral vision. Brahmi.

“Why are you smiling, Bhai?” Sharan asked. Samarth realised then that even the thought of Brahmi’s shenanigans had his facial muscles stretching.

“Does Mummy know you are here?”

“Papa,” Sharan muttered.

“Papa knows?”

“No!” He stuttered. “YouPapa. Is it really…? Bhai?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Long?” His eyes widened.

“She is seven years old.”

Realisation dawned. “Oh, yes. So…?”

“I met her mother, Avantika, in school…”

“Inschool?!”

“Sharan, zip it.” Samarth stepped up, making him step back. “School was twenty years ago. I am telling you something important that you will not repeat to Papa until I speak to him.”

“What about Mummy?”

Samarth paused.

“Mummyknows?!!”

“Alright, you are going back,” he grabbed his bicep. “Come on.”

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” He held his ground. “Sorry. I’ll shut up.”

Samarth glared at him.

“Sorry,” a laugh burst forth from his shocked mouth. “Seriously, I am Kaka…”

“Yeah,” Samarth glanced behind his shoulder at Brahmi’s face peeking from between two sheer curtains behind the closed window. She thought she was invisible. He smiled.

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