Page 304 of A King's Oath

“No!”

“Do you think Sharan vies the position you have?”

“No, Rajmata! He runs away from it, if at all.”

“Then who gave you this idea that you or your children are a threat to anybody? How did you take me making you Rawal as penance for you to sit on a throne without your family and serve until you are done?”

Samarth looked like he didn’t want to answer. But Avantika knew he was a straightforward man. He answered a question with a straight answer to people he valued and loved.

“You relieved me of my oath but I still had a promise I made to your parents.”

“Ok. Got it. So like that day I set you free from your oath, I set you free from your promise today.”

“I am sorry…” he shook his head. “But I never considered this throne mine. It was meant for Sharan, for his future.”

“Why?”

“For your security.”

“Why?”

“For yours and Papa’s happiness.”

“Why?”

It was like her whys were bringing out things from Samarth he himself didn't know. Because now he stopped. Blinked. Lost.

“Why, Samarth?”

“Because he deserves happiness.”

“And you don’t?”

Again silence.

“Are you responsible for your Papa’s happiness, Samarth?”

“Of course I am.”

“No, you are not!”

He looked away. She reached for his jaw and pulled his face back — “Whose debts are you paying, beta?”

Avantika could feel the tectonic plates vibrating. She could feel the love of his life unravelling. How had she never seen this? How had she seen so much, and never this?

“Vaibhavi walked out of her own free will,” Rajmata declared. “And it was your Papa’s decision to let her go. How did you take the blame for what she did and make yourself the uncrowned king of Papa’s happiness?”

“It’s not like that, Rajmata…”

“You do not owe Papa, me, Sharan or the world anything. You are in this world because the world needs a man like you. You are in our lives because in spite of all our sins, we deserve a man like you. Do you understand what I am saying?”

He nodded.

She scoffed — “How many more, Samarth? How many more debts will you pay?”

“I don’t know.”

“I know,” her hand went to his shoulder and she pressed — “None. It ends here. If you do not believe me when I am setting you free from your promise, I will have Mummy and Papa come and do the same. Let them tell you that they have no sense of insecurity here anymore for me. Or Sharan. Better yet, let them tell you that you mean to them as much as Sharan does. Have you not seen it?”

---