Page 64 of A King's Oath

“Kunwar saheb, no!” Tara Devi’s shocked voice stopped him. “You cannot make such a promise…”

“I can make any promise that is in my power to give as my father’s son. The three promises I have given you are alone in my power to fulfil.”

“Does Rawal saheb know about this?” Kaka asked.

“He will know once Tara Devi and you agree.”

“Kunwar,” Kaki’s soft whisper again cut him off. “Don’t make such a promise. No father will do that to his son. It will not be good.”

Samarth smiled — “Why would you think it will not be good? I will be able to pursue my polo and travel around the world without the pressure of being the king. My father knows how much I love polo. He will understand. He has juggled so much alone, that he would be happy to see his children divide his responsibilities.”

“And what about your children? Your family? Don’t do this to your future, Kunwar.”

Samarth couldn’t blame them. From his research, and after the blood bath that had ensued in their Devgadh’s royal family between Maan bhai, his sister and his cousin, Samarth could not blame Tara Devi’s parents for asking this question.

It was half a second. Half a second where he thought at the speed of light. Ava. Ava. Ava. Of all that she could become to him. Of all that he could become to her. Of all that could be. But if his Papa remained unhappy all this life, if Nawanagar’s Rawal remained a shadow of himself, what would he do with all the happiness of the world?

“What family?” Samarth smiled, aware that he was going too far but unable to stop. “My father is my family. And with Tara Devi and their children, they will be my family.”

“Do not say this, Kunwar saheb…” Tara Devi warned. Warned. Her tone was close to that of a teacher’s. Maybe even a mother’s. His Papa wouldn’t have been so kind in issuing a warning.

“I am not one to commit anyway,” Samarth grinned, now convinced more than ever that Nawanagar needed its Maarani and Rawal needed his partner. He could live out his life on Polo grounds. “My rizz is limited to situationships,” he lied, knowing that the one and only relationship of his life was gone in that moment. “My life will be me, my polo and my travel.”

“You are too young to make such decisions. Let’s call your father. I do not want to do this over your birthright.”

“Giriraj Hukum of Mewad says it is not your birthright but your duty when you are born as a royal. I am fulfilling my duty to my father and my king. Tara Devi, he is not well.”

She stilled.

“What happened to him?”

“Physically he is perfect. He does everything perfectly. Goes to court, takes meetings, works, plays cricket. But my father does not smile like he did after coming back from Antarctica. My Dada Sarkar keeps asking him and he says it’s the weather. I know now it is not.”

“Who told you about me?”

“I cannot reveal my sources,” Samarth tried his best to smirk, hoping it would look innocent. He wanted to cry for all the songs he and Ava wouldn’t get to share, all the cricket he wouldn’t be able to watch, all the polo matches where she wouldn’t come to set his helmet. Samarth smirked, hoping he looked not like a lovesick boy tearing his girlfriend off his chest.

Tara Devi shook her head — “No, no…”

Could she read him?Samarth panicked. If they did not agree, and Papa got to know of this, everything was gone for good. Never again would this topic be resurrected. Papa would make sure of it.

“Kaka,” he turned to her father. “Please,” he folded his hands together. “I promise you that Tara Devi will always remain fulfilled in our palace. Her children will be fulfilled. I will make it my life’s mission.”

“No!” Tara Devi snapped. “Papa, he is young, we cannot listen to this…”

“Are you questioning the word of a Solanki, Tara Devi?” Samarth turned on her, his father’s son, the Solankis' blood reverberating in his voice. She was taken aback. Samarth could see her at a loss, could see her parents on the precipice. So he decided to jump himself and have them follow. That’s what he did with Cherry. When he was scared of leaping over a hurdle, Samarth would push his own body forward over the saddle, his way of reassuring Cherry that ‘look, I am going over it too. Now come with me.’

Samarth strode to the tray of steel glasses, poured a trickle of water in the cup of his palm and recited — “This is my oath, that I will make sure that Tara Devi and her heirs are secure and rule Nawanagar one day.”

Before anybody could stop him, he tilted his palm and released the water to the ground.

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Samarth had won every match he had set his mind to. Had come out victorious in all exams that he had genuinely wanted to score in. His Papa had told him that he had the planets to win at life.

As the Nawanagar palace gates opened up for their car and Harsh inched it forward, Samarth didn’t feel as elated as he did after a victory. He felt guilt for not feeling it, because his Papa was winning at life today. But for that night, as they had driven from Devgadh to Nawanagar — Him, Harsh and Tara Devi, Samarth had allowed himself to mourn his future guilt-free. Mourn Ava, and all that she had as well as would become to him.

Now, as the sun was coming up, he folded that grief and decided to stow it away. He felt Tara Devi sit up in the seat behind him.He noticed it then — their people, dressed in heavy sarees and dhotis, returning from the palace, pooja platters in hand. It was Holi today. How had he forgotten?

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