Page 192 of A King's Oath

“Drink,” Rajmata pulled him up by the back of his collar. “And do not dare talk in circles with me again.”

“Tattletale,” Sharan muttered, gulping the milk.

“Doodh coldrink, bile, vomit, cockroach…” Samarth began to recount and he gagged.

“Samarth!” Rajmata scolded. Papa laughed.

It was only after Sharan gagged his way through his milk that Rajmata finally rounded the bed and settled in front of him, on her own pillow backrest. She looked tired, and a little sleepy. Sharan had made her dance to his tunes all week. Even so, she sat up straight and asked what she always asked —

“What’s new then, boys?”

“I am so sick!” Sharan fell back on the bed.

“It’ll pass,” Rajmata retorted sternly. She wasn’t as stern five days ago when Sharan was groaning with fever and Dengue was detected. Their kingdom had been in its grip and they had gotten out guidelines to curb the outbreak along with rolling out a massive drive to cover all open water sources after a splendid monsoon.

“Papa, did you speak to the IMA President? Can we officially roll out malaria quinine for dengue?”

Papa locked his phone shut instantly, his eyes going sharp. He ran his hand through his salt and pepper hair — “He cannot let us do so officially, but we can spread the word out unofficially. Some research has shown it can be a secondary treatment for dengue.”

“It is affordable, and the council of doctors I spoke to swore by its effect in quickly inhibiting dengue virus replication.”

Papa sat up straight — “We cannot make official statements to that effect but yes, it can be a drug to control and manage dengue.”

“Then I’ll speak to Dr. Vora. Have him roll it out.”

“Bring one home for this one too,” Rajmata quipped, glancing at Sharan. “I told him not to wade into the lake. And still he went. All last week he kept going! See what happened now?!It’s a breeding ground for mosquitoes in this season… You too, Samarth — did you wear your riding boots and cover everything while riding today?”

“There are no open sources of water around the school, Rajmata. Relax.”

“Did you?”

“Yes.”

“Try and go riding by day, not by evening.”

“Where’s the time?”

“Go early in the morning.”

“He is an adult, Tara. He will manage. Stop nagging the children now — one is a fresh adult and the other is ready to get married.”

There we go again.

“My favourite topic!” Sharan sat up in bed, all fever and sickness forgotten.

“What happened with Orissa’s princess?” Papa inquired casually, and very tactlessly. “Did you show her our oil drilling rig?”

“Yes,” Samarth reported. “She is looking at writing an op-ed piece on oil-rigging in the Arabian Sea for her blog.”

“And did you take her to dinner?”

“She had to leave, or I would have taken her.”

Papa sighed. Samarth dutifully sat back, done with the interrogation.

“Where did she have to go?” Rajmata asked, knowing eyes honed on him. He pleaded with his eyes — “To her hotel.”

“She had somebody waiting for her there?”

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