Page 270 of A King's Oath

“You know, you were my favourite since the moment I got to know about you but now you are my…”

“Favouritest?”

“Yes!” His eyes widened. “I like that word.”

“My Papa likes it too.”

“What does your Papa like?” Samarth came striding down the alley, his stepmother beside him.

“Favouritest?”

“Aah yes,” he smiled. “It’s my new favouritest word.”

“See?” Brahmi patted her grandfather’s chest. “I told you.”

“I love talking and I love talking to you more. Can we make a pact to talk for at least one hour a day?”

“I have a busy schedule…” she acted pricy, making them burst into a laugh even amidst this tense situation.

“Brahmi,” Avantika glared at her.

“I can work around your schedule. I know you are a star rider and upcoming polo sensation. But hey, have you tried cricket?”

“Alright, Sid,” Nawanagar’s Rajmata gave her husband a look. A funny look that Avantika was unable to decipher.

“We’ll talk about this later,” he whispered into Brahmi’s ear, making her beam.

“Rawal?” Their family doctor came striding down the hall.

“How is he, Haren saheb?”

“Slowly coming to his senses.”

Samarth did not betray any emotion even as his stepmother’s face contorted. Avantika realised then how well she had been holding herself. A mother, with her son in a place where nothing was certain, still joking with Brahmi and making sure Samarth was ok. Grudging respect began to bloom in her mind for her.

“And the spinal tests?”

“We are waiting for him to become fully alert. My sense is Neuropraxia of the left radial nerve. It results in temporary paralysis, as you mentioned. The scope of full damage will only be known once Kunwar is lucid and all the tests are done. The good news is that he has begun to wake up.”

“Haren saheb,” Samarth’s father rose to his feet, Brahmi’s hand clasped in his. “Can it be what we suspected?”

Haren saheb’s mouth compressed. Ava saw the two men share a look. Samarth looked at his father, and he seemed to get in on that too.

“Let’s see, let him wake up fully.”

Silence. The last twenty minutes of flowers and butterflies seemed to wilt.

“Why is everyone quiet?” Brahmi tugged her grandfather’s hand. He pasted a smile on his face so genuine that Avantika couldn't believe he had been anxious a second ago.

“You went quiet, so everybody went quiet.”

“I can talk,” she nodded, sensing the moroseness of the group. “My schedule is clear today.”

He chuckled, using his free hand to lay over her head and give it a shake — “Talk. Talk every day and make everybody else talk.”

“Rawal, I’ll be inside.”

Samarth nodded.

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