Page 47 of A King’s Oath (The Indian Royals #3)
“Aww…” she tickled his chin, seeing his mouth smile.
Or come close to that expression Samarth had taught her meant happy.
“You are the cutest little pony I have ever seen. Are you a newborn foal? Are you? Do you know how pretty you are?” She began to lean closer to nuzzle his neck when voices sounded from outside, coming in.
“I am in one piece, Maan bhai, no point in an MRI scan…” Samarth argued.
“You are getting one. Your head is still bleeding… don’t go in, I can’t see anything there!”
“Head wounds bleed the most, Maan. Don’t you know yourself?” That was Hukum’s voice. “How many times have you fallen off your horse and left a pool of blood? My Lake Palace field is still red near the centre line.”
“You answer to Siddharth then when his son shows permanent memory loss.”
“Look there, boy — who is he?”
A pause. Then — “Frederick Alphanso VII?”
Avantika snorted.
“You are coming with me for an MRI scan. Get me the team doctor!” Maan bhai’s loud holler made her tiny baby foal startle. Avantika reached up and caressed his nose.
“Come here.”
Footsteps pushed in, echoing in the relatively cooler, silent stables.
Avantika panicked. She opened the stall door and stepped inside, hoping the baby horse was just as gentle in the confines of his stall.
He neighed but quieted when he also sensed men’s footsteps coming closer and closer.
She ducked under the stall door and the pony gave her a look.
Yeah, keep quiet!
“Maan doesn’t know it, but it’s your heart, not head that’s bleeding.”
A forced laugh echoed from Samarth.
“Kunwar.”
That voice was strong, authoritative. Avantika peeped half her eyes over the stall gate.
“Avantika Kumari is the girl of your destiny. She is your chosen destiny. Why are you running away from it?”
Samarth did not respond.
“You are obliged to answer, Kunwar.”
“I swore an oath, Hukum,” he parroted, holding onto his side. Was he in too much pain? Why wasn’t he getting it mended?
“I know. It was to enable Tara’s heirs to rule Nawanagar.”
Samarth nodded.
“You did not swear any oath — to water or anybody else, that you will not accept a wife and a family.”
“It was part of it.”
“No.”
“It was, Hukum, I have told you this.”
“And I told you then too, on that French Open field, that there is nothing stopping you from starting your own life. Your Rawal has agreed to your request, he has relinquished you from inheriting after having Sharan. There is nothing more you owe anybody.”
“If my kids… or their kids ever challenge Sharan’s inheritance…”
“Life cannot be stopped for ifs and buts.”
Again Samarth remained silent.
“Gwalior’s Kumari has shown you loyalty.”
Avantika’s body cooled down again. He knew she was here? He had seen her hugging Samarth? Oh fuck!
“Don’t you owe her your loyalty now?”
“Hukum, I…”
“If this is your problem, that your progeny will become a threat to Sharan’s, then raise your family away from Nawanagar. Independent. Raise them well. Do not give up on something good just because you believe you owe debts to the world that you think will never be paid off.”
Again silence.
“A Solanki’s word will be compromised, Hukum.”
“What was the word you gave?”
“I will not commit. My life will be me, my polo and my travel.”
“And you going around your word would be a problem if your committing becomes a conflict to your oath. Make sure it does not, and go ahead.”
“My dynasty will always remember I went back on my word…”
“Your dynasty will remember that you held onto your oath and gracefully stepped aside. Don’t you owe anything to the Princess of Gwalior? You must have made some promises to her before you took that oath, or didn’t you?”
Silence ensued, the breaths of her baby horse the only noise.
“A lotus bud does not cower away because there is mud around it, Samarth. It rises and blooms, remains in the mud but does not let any droplets cling to it.”
Her baby horse danced with its two front feet and she ducked down, glaring at him.
Shhh, she mouthed. He snorted.
“Decide, Samarth. I told you this three months ago. I don’t want to keep telling you the same thing months, years, lifetimes later as well. You are young, this youth will pass. Hold it.”
“We can’t hold age, Hukum.”
“With the right person, you can.”
Silence again.
Her baby horse made another little whine, shaking his head. He began to neigh just as Samarth’s voice sounded over her head — “What the hell are you doing there?!”
Avantika looked up from her crouch — “Go,” she snarled. “He’ll know I am here.”
“Hukum left,” Samarth opened the stall door and grabbed her hand, pulling her out before shutting the stall door again. The baby horse thrust his head out and Samarth gave him a distracted pat, his eyes roving her body. The horse kept pushing.
“It’s ok,” she gently placed her hand on the other side of his neck, caressing slowly. “You are so cute but let’s keep the noise down, ok? I am right here…”
“Do not step inside stalls with horses in there,” Samarth clipped.
“You go inside stalls all the time.”
“I know those horses.”
“I know this one.”
“What’s his name?”
She came up short. Then glanced at the happy little beast with two hands caressing it. She nudged her chin at him.
“He says you should know,” Samarth relayed.
“What?”
“His name.”
She snorted.
“Seriously, Ava. Please. He is a foal and harmless, but all horses are not harmless. Do not ever go in without me.”
“You won’t be there with me all the time!”
“You won’t be in a stable without me.”
Her mouth snapped shut. She eyed him from the edge of her lashes, looking into his eyes, then away.
“You heard.”
Samarth Sinh Solanki was as tactless as they came. Or maybe in this he was.
“Yes. But you can’t blame me! I was hiding here and you both came and started discussing the biggest thorn of your life…”
“You are a thorn of my life now?” He smirked.
“Your oath.”
His smirk fell.
“How is your side? You are still holding it,” she spread her hand over his. “Is it tender?”
“A little. Maan bhai is getting me to an MRI centre by hook or by crook.”
“You should go.”
“It’s not serious, Ava. I have had bigger falls during practise.”
“Still. Just go. We are in a foreign country. If something happens at night we will be in a fix…”
“We?”
She frowned. “Yes.”
“We?”
“What’s wrong? Your blood has dried. Did you hit your head too hard?” She reached up to swivel his head to better lighting but he grabbed her wrist. His stomach, his chest, his throat moved as if he was taking the biggest breath of his life. His eyes seared into hers.
“You were planning on spending your life in Paris. Alone.”
“What’s that got to do with this?”
“You were ok not going back to your princess life, isn’t it?”
Now she knew where this was going. Her heart rate, which she had brought under control after numerous counts, shot back up in a millisecond.
“Can you be ok with never going to Nawanagar as its Kunwari?”
Her eyes widened.
“No. No, no, no,” she laughed. “You don’t mean what I think you mean?”
“I don’t know what I mean myself. But…”
“But what?”
“Don’t you want to hold this age with me?”
“You mean a fling?”
“I mean a long time.”
“A long relationship?”
His eyes stuttered. “A marriage.”
“Without telling our parents?”
“Of course not!”
“You just said I can never go to Nawanagar.”
“That is after we are married — no returning to Nawanagar.”
“You will leave your home?”
He swallowed, his gaze panning away from her into the small window that streamed some light into this stone and wood stable.
“I cannot leave completely until Sharan is old enough to support Papa. But I anyway travel for an average of 8-10 months in a year. I can spend that time with you and only return for important events or occasions. To work where I need to.”
“And live in Paris the rest of the year?”
“I have been offered honorary citizenship by Argentina. It’s been years in the making. Their polo club has also been courting me.”
“You will leave Gir Zephyrs?”
“No. I will only accept citizenship. Far away from India, or anybody who remotely knows us as Kunwar and Kumari. A new country, new city, new people. Different from ours.”
“This is a huge decision, Samarth. Think about it. I heard all that Hukum said but…”
“Do you also agree with him?”
“Of course I agree!” She stepped up vehemently. “But I am the affected party. You can’t listen to me.”
“I want to listen to you.”
“Wanting and happening are two different things.”
“I want it to happen.”
“I know. I see it.”
His fingers came to her jaw, lightly, like a tentative feather, touching and letting go, fluttering up her jawline, up her cheek, coming to rest on the side of her face.
Avantika felt her eyes fall close. His fingers shook on her skin.
It was surreal. Her mouth dropped open, panting. The 4-7-8 technique was not working.
“I haven’t done this in a long time,” his breath, his voice, his vibration was closer. Close to her open mouth.
“How long?”
“Since a girl owed me a debt and did not pay back.”
Her chest caved in a sob and she fell into him as his mouth captured hers.