Page 24 of A King's Oath

Yes

Can I come?

Sure

And tomorrow?

No, book club. But saturday I’m free

I’m not here on Saturday

Where are you going again?

Wide brown eyes rose to his, part furious, part curious.

Badrinath.Samarth smiled.

Why?

He gave her a look —why would someone go to Badrinath?

Her nose scrunched at him, so he decided to spell it out for her.

To do darshan. Papa gave me letter of permission.

You’ll go alone?

With Harsh, my friend from Nawanagar.

How?

By car.

You can’t drive!

He is permitted to drive.

When will you be back?

Leave Friday evening, reach there early Saturday, do darshan, leave by evening and be back Sunday morning.

Ava’s face was inscrutable as she gave him a long look. Did she find his trip for darshan of Badrinath uncool? He knew his close friends found this side of him too soft andpansy. Kush, Jai and the lot never stopped ribbing him whenever they got a chance. He didn’t care. Never had. His relationship with god, religion and his desire to express that wasn’t dependent on people around him. His Dadi Sarkar, his Papa and Hira ben had brought him up better than to let others’ voices and the world’s noises interfere with his resolution to do something.

As Ava’s face remained shuttered, Samarth wondered if she would want to be with a guy who went to Badrinath for darshan on his weekend off.

Hey?He wrote, unable to take her silence anymore.

What?

Just like that

Ava put her head down on the table and turned it towards him, letting out a silent sputter. He laughed quietly.

You look like my horse when you do that

Her hand stretched out, head still down, and in broken words she wrote —

Which one?

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