Page 309 of A King's Oath

“No… pending Ava’s agreement.”

“You’ll get that,” Siddharth slapped his bicep. “I showed her our cricket stadium. She is not going anywhere.”

“And Samarth,” Tara added. “I meant it with the Women’s Inheritance Bill. Work on it, bring it back to life.”

“You can’t be serious! Papa overturned it. It is one of his legacies…”

“And legacies are meant to be surpassed,” Siddharth nodded. “I overturned it to save Nawanagar from Indranil’s greedy hands.”

“This is unorthodox, Papa… can we eventhinkabout this? No kingdom in Gujarat has taken any concrete steps. Even Maan bhai is still going back and forth over the base draft.”

“But he has educated Ragini in the art and tact of policy just as well as Advait,” Tara pointed. “And why do you need to lookoutwards for inspiration? Draw from your own Dadi Sarkar, the previous Maarani. It will be an uphill battle. A long one. The conditions will be tricky. But it is time we evolve.”

“Brahmi… isn’t it too much to put on her? She is so… soft.”

“Didn’t you tell me once that Polo is the only equestrian sport in the world where men and women can compete and play together? If I remember correctly, you said — horses don’t bow to muscle or power or gender. They bow to leadership. If Brahmi can hold her own in polo better than you did at that age, imagine how she will command a kingdom one day if given the right education.”

He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut.

“I need to speak to Ava.”

Siddharth got to his feet and his hand landed on his head — “That’s a good boy!”

————————————————————

Samarth touched the feet of their kuldevta and sat down in front of the line of Nav-graha deities. Purohitji began chanting, invoking the deities to their gruh-shanti. Mandwa-muhurat and Ganesh-sthapan had been concluded an hour ago, the palace temple and the sprawling garden outside overflowing with guests even at this warm hour of the afternoon.

“Var-raja na mata-pita,[100]” Purohitji pointed to either side of him. Siddharth got to his feet and walked to Samarth’s left. She walked to his right, to the place rightfully reserved for his mother. Purohitji began chanting again and Tara lowered herself on the floor beside him. Siddharth held his right hand out as Purohitji prescribed, she placed hers in his, and together they began invoking the nine planets to grace their son’s wedding.

She glanced at the boy between them — thirty-four years old, father to a daughter, King of Nawanagar. The son who ate dahi-bhaat from her hands and unleashed his frustration like a little child in front of her.

“Have, mata-pita tareeke, Rawal ne emna nava jeevan ni saruwaat maate ashirwad aapo,[101]” Purohitji instructed. Siddharth’s hand landed on Samarth’s head — firm and playful as always with that shake. Tara began to take her hand to bless his shoulder when he turned to her, hands folded, and bent bodily forward until his head was under her hand.

She laughed, patting it — twice, then once more.

52. Will You Be My Maarani?

— AVANTIKA —

A thump made her sit up. Avantika squinted, glancing at the time. Brahmi slept quietly by her side, one arm thrown over her head, another on her chest. Another thump echoed.

Sa-marth!She hissed in her head, pushing out of her bed and marching to the balcony. She opened the shutters just as he got to his feet, dusting his hands — “Hi…”

“Keep it down, Brahmi is sleeping!” She whispered, pulling the shutter closed behind her.

“Kon chhe?” A guard’s torch beamed up and Samarth pulled her down to the floor by her arm. They crouched there, quiet, following the guard with his torch as he went down the garden. Her breaths came heavy. Her heart panicky. This man would singlehandedly make her the Queen of Hide and Seek before their wedding.

“Hi,” he grinned at her, the torch beam now long gone. She pushed at his chest, making him laugh and stumble back. He sat with his back to the balcony railing, legs bent up in front of him.

“You don’t pick up my phone and then you come sneaking in at midnight?”

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down beside him. She nudged his shoulder with hers, making him tumble out. He pushed back, making her tumble down. She went again and he circled her in his arm — “Ok, enough. I am here for serious talk.”

“I know.”

“How?”

“I just know.”

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