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He glanced up and she was staring at him with a capital WTF! on her face. That was a good sign. He went back down to his phone and checked. He had written a lot. He went ahead and typed one last message, hoping for something. A little something.

SAMARTH

THE END 10 mark essay

No response. Disheartened, he glanced up again and she was watching the movie, her phone still unlocked and lit in her hand.

As soon as her phone vibrated, she looked down.

Was it a silent snort or did he imagine it?

Her thumbs began to type and his heart rate picked up. Almost instantly his phone vibrated.

AVA

So what do I do?

His heart rate remained up as he typed.

SAMARTH

Give me a chance. One last, final chance.

You have no reason to but I am still begging you.

I am unable to give you any good reason or argument so I am begging you.

Let me into your life and our daughter’s life.

Let me show you that I mean what I wrote.

I want us to have what we once dreamed of.

I want to give you what I couldn’t for the last eight years.

If you will take it, I want to give you everything.

Let our daughter get to know me. Let me get to know her and learn to be a father.

Let me learn to be your partner again. I will go at your pace, do what you want me to do, be where you want me to be.

You make the rules, I will follow. Say run and I’ll ask how fast.

AVA

Nice. When is Nawanagar expecting their rawal saheb back?

His eyes whirled up to hers. They were currently trained on him. She went back to typing.

AVA

The happy family will have an end date, no?

Give me that end date

His jaw tightened.

Samarth opened the symbols on his keyboard and jammed his thumb into the one he was looking for. Hard.

SAMARTH

∞

A little leg nudged the edge of his knee and he glanced at Brahmi.

She was fast asleep, slid down Ava’s thigh and onto the sofa, her mouth adorably round in quiet snores.

His whole being melted. How could looking at her sleep be a full-time activity, like he would pencil in 8 hours at night to just watch her sleep and memorise everything.

To avoid forgetting her face again he quickly pulled open Rajmata’s chat and began typing.

SAMARTH

The prettiest round eyes, round mouth that becomes an O when she is shocked or surprised or planning to be naughty or asleep. Straight hair to her shoulders and always wild. Nose slightly curved like mine. Cheeks that go massive round when she puffs them. Attitude like Papa’s and always there.

AVA

Brahmi is asleep, you can go home now.

The text banner appeared at the top of his screen and he quickly sent off the message to Rajmata before raising his eyes to Ava.

The movie had paused and she was already lifting Brahmi to take her into her room.

Samarth got to his feet, looking at them go.

He kept looking until they were closed into a faraway bedroom.

Then put the pillows of the sofa in place, opened the curtains, switched off the TV and turned to leave.

He was halfway down the garden under the early evening sunshine when the sound of his name stopped him.

He turned. Ava was at her door. He jogged back.

“Yes?”

“She doesn’t have her riding lesson tomorrow.”

His face fell.

“Alright,” he nodded. “Thanks for telling me. Can I still come?”

“When is your return flight?”

“There is no return flight.”

Her eyebrows went up. “King is shifting out of his kingdom?”

“I know where you are coming from. But know this — I am here, one hundred and one percent. With you. With her.”

“Until when?”

“Until I die.”

There was nothing dramatic in that statement.

“I do not respect you anymore.”

He didn’t even flinch.

“You should not.”

“Where does Brahmi fit into your life?”

“As my daughter, my child, my extension. My legacy in this world. And don’t ask me where you fit because you are already screwed tight inside me.”

“What about your kingdom?”

“I gave half my life to it, now it’s time I gave the rest of my life to you.”

“What does that mean in simple language?”

“In simple language it means that I am stepping down from the throne. Sharan is old enough and Papa is there.”

“And if something untoward happens between now and then?”

He knew that question. Had thought and prepared for it.

“Whatever happens, you and our daughter will not suffer again. What-ever happens, I will not leave you again.”

“We do not need you.”

“I need you.”

She remained silent, her throat working on a swallow.

He stepped up to the threshold of her house and she instinctively stepped back.

Samarth towered over her and even though she still looked so small in front of him he knew she had wrapped and held and kept safe his whole world inside her singlehandedly for twenty years.

“Did you have a good life, the two of you?”

Ava nodded.

“Then I promise I can make it better. Give me this one chance.”

She remained motionless. Emotionless. Maybe he had a longer war to wage.

“I am taking Brahmi to Paris tomorrow. To shop.”

His mouth dropped open, curling, feeling like it was lit up from inside his throat.

“You realise that you are dropping two big clues?”

“I am driving. You can park your car outside.”

Giddy, he went to touch her hand but she pulled it back.

“I will ask her when she wakes up. Only if she says yes…”

“Only then,” he agreed quickly. “Only then.”

“Bye, Samarth.”

He didn’t let that distance get to him.

“Bye. Tell her I said goodnight.”