Page 47 of A King's Oath

“You made me realise this, Ava.”

She frowned.

“Even the thought of being without talking to you is scary. I can’t imagine living a life like that. Without talking to somebody aboutthe secrets, the stupid things, the fun things, the scary things. The happy things.”

“Then ask your father.”

“What? That did he talk to my mother about all this? No way!”

“No!” Ava laughed. “Ask him if he has somebody in his life like that.”

“Are you crazy? That’s… it’s so… interfering and nosy.”

“As if you haven’t done enough interfering in trying to send his acceptance letter for that Antarctica trip.”

“That’s different and this is different!”

“How is it different?”

“It is uncomfortable. What will I ask him? Papa, I talk to Ava about everything in my life. Who do you talk to?”

“Exactly! There you go, my friend.”

“I am not your friend.”

“You’re right, you are my bae!” She kissed his lips, her hair springing on his face. Samarth caught her and pushed his tongue into her mouth, kissing her deep and extra, building up her debt for tomorrow. As she moved over him, he couldn’t push the thought of her suggestion aside.

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Samarth spent days debating Ava’s suggestion. During practises, during exams, sitting with his friends, even studying. Every night as his mobile rang with his Papa’s call, he would brace himself to say those words. Or any words resembling them. Ask it. On one particular night he had bolstered himself and even opened his mouth when his Papa had begun to talk about theDrake Passage that his ship would be crossing. And Samarth had swallowed his words down.

He rushed up his dorm stairs looking at his watch. Papa would be calling him any time now. He had gotten late after hanging out with Ava, Kresha and Gopi. To celebrate his attempting all topography questions in today’s Geography paper, the girls had made them dance to some mad Instagram trend, some Punjabi folk song. They had also recorded it. If he hadn’t been in a hurry to reach his mobile phone charging in his room, he would have caught hold of Ava and made her delete it.

“Hey, Harsh, I’m home!” He pushed the door open, only to find it empty. Samarth frowned. Where was his friend and bodyguard so late at night? Wait… even Kirti didi had been AWOL today.

His eyebrows shot up.Good going, Harsh…

Samarth went to check on his phone charging beside his bed and discovered it was already buzzing with a silent call from Papa. When had he turned his phone on silent?

He quickly swiped it right, pulling off his beanie — “Hello?”

“Thank god you picked up,” Papa’s voice crackled. “I paid a small fortune for this call.”

Samarth chuckled, tugging off his jacket and collapsing on his bed — “How are you, Papa? Are you already at Port Lockroy?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Your ship has free WiFi.”

Papa chuckled.

“I am the parent, not you.”

“Wasting precious money,” Samarth repeated that dialogue that his father threw at him innumerable times in jest.

“You are talking too quick too much, Kunwar.”

“Kshama, Rawal,” Samarth laughed.

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