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Avantika swiped right and plastered it to her ear — “Hey,” she cleared her throat. “Hey. Did Sharan wake up?”

“Yes,” his husky, sleepless voice sounded. “He is fully alert. Very alert. The scans came clear for his brain and spine. His right arm has recovered but he cannot move his left hand yet. They are saying it should recover within 72 hours to 1 week.”

“Phew,” she exhaled, her heartbeat settling. “How are you?”

“Tired. But relieved. That boy can age anybody with his dramatics.”

She chuckled. “Your father must be dealing with him now.”

“Oh, he is livid. Rajmata is dealing with Sharan.”

“Your father? Livid at him? He saved Brahmi’s life!”

“My father is livid at me . For putting Brahmi in the middle of a pen, among other things.”

“Your Rajmata was also angry at you… sorry, I overheard…”

“She was angry and then she found a solution for me. Papa is…” he huffed. “There is a lot going on.”

“I get it. You take your time. If you have to go back home with them, do that…” she declared with an open heart. She hated it but she knew he needed to deal with his father’s ire, rightly so, after the things he had done over the years.

“Actually, that’s why I called.”

“Oh. You are going back to Nawanagar?”

“Umm…”

“It’s alright. Go. I’ll speak to Brahmi, I’ll take care of her…”

How will I do it? What will I tell her? God, why did I let her heart open up to him?

“No,” Samarth’s voice boomed. “Not I. We.”

Goosebumps carpeted the back of her neck.

“We?”

“You, Brahmi and me. It is time I declare I have a daughter and accept you both publicly.”

“This can wait, Samarth…”

“I thought so too but Papa is a bull on a mission.”

“I can’t believe it. He was so sweet last night.”

“The moment you and Brahmi left, the sweet left too,” he chuckled, apparently not miffed with whatever had transpired between him and his father all night.

“I can’t come to Nawanagar like that! My parents don’t even know all this yet…”

“About that…”

‘Stop, Samarth. Don’t tell me they know!”

“No, no, they don’t but…”

The sound of a door opening and closing.

“Is it Ava?” His father’s terse words. “Hand it to me.”

“Ava, speak to Papa.”

“No, Sama…”

“Ava,” his father’s voice was soft, gentle. “Hello, beta.”

“Hello unc… umm, Bade Rawal. Samarth told me Sharan is awake and out of danger.”

“Yes, he is, thank god. We have arranged for him to be flown back to Nawanagar soon, provided his arm starts showing signs of improvement. I would like to officially extend an invitation to you and Brahmi to come home with us.”

“Oh… thank you for your invitation but we cannot come right away. Brahmi’s school starts in two weeks.”

“Then I insist you come for those two weeks.”

Avantika swallowed.

“What is it? You can tell me.”

She searched for the right words. The right thoughts too. Couldn’t.

"What transpired between you and Samarth over the last twenty years is not fully known to me yet,” he filled the silence solemnly. “But what is clear to me is that there is nothing but a future for you three together now. Have I read that wrong?”

“No, you haven’t.”

“Good. Then it is only right that steps are taken to create that future for you.”

“Uncle… Bade Rawal, my parents don’t know. Not about Samarth. Not about anything…”

“Samarth told me. With your permission, I would also like to extend an invitation to your parents to come to Nawanagar. Ava — yours, Brahmi’s and Samarth’s life needs to start now. Nawanagar must get its Maarani and Kumari who have been waiting in the shadows.”

But I am not Maarani and my daughter is definitely not Kumari.

“Would you prefer to speak to your parents first? They would get the shock of their lifetime if I called them out of the blue. I can. But it wouldn’t look right.”

“Yes, it’s better if I talk to them first.”

“Alright, then. You speak to them and let me know once you have. I will call them tonight.”

Avantika closed her eyes, breathing the light, lavender-scented air in. The more she procrastinated, the more it would needle her insides. She had to become the old Ava and jump into a murky whirlpool.

“Ok, uncle. I will speak to them and let you know.”

“Fantastic! Is Brahmi awake?”

“No,” Ava glanced behind her at the closed bedroom door. If she woke up, she came scuttling into her bedroom and slipped into bed beside her. “Yesterday exhausted her.”

“It was a difficult day. Let her sleep. When she is ready, bring her to the hospital. Her bat and ball will be delivered in one hour.”

Avantika bit back a smile — “I tried with the bat-ball thing. She never caught on. It’s only horses and eclairs. No cricket.”

“Now there’s the two of us. We’ll covert her one way or another.”

She chuckled, giddy, and suddenly excited about whatever was to come.

“The doctor is calling me. I’ll see you in a while.”

“Yes, see you, uncle.”

Some rustling, and Samarth came back — “You and Papa planning to turn my baby into a cricketer?”

“Scared?”

“Not at all. Try your best. She is in love with horses.”

“Mama…” her door cracked open and in slipped Brahmi, her snuggly under her arm, hair all over her face.

“Good morning, baby,” Avantika turned, opening an arm for her to snuggle into her side.

“She woke up?” Samarth asked.

“Mmm,” Avantika caressed her hair, combing the strands through her fingers. Brahmi was still half-asleep.

“Give me to her.”

Avantika toggled the speaker on — “You are on speaker.”

“Hi, baby.”

“Papa?” Her head popped up from her side. “Where are you?”

“I am at the hospital. What about you? Did you sleep well?”

“Mmmm… where is Dada Sarkar and Dadi Sarkar?”

“Dada Sarkar is talking to somebody outside and Dadi Sarkar is with Sharan Kaka.”

“Sharan Kaka woke up?” She came even more awake.

“Yes, he woke up. And you know what was the first thing he asked?”

“What?”

“Where is my sketchbook?”

Brahmi giggled, the sound husky and happy. Avantika squeezed her in and bent down to kiss her head.

“I want to come there!”

“You can come here after you have finished all that Mama asks you do to.”

“I miss you,” she squelched a loud kissing sound. “Bye!”

“I miss you too. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Brahmi was already out of her room, likely to run around the garden and swing to come fully awake. That was her vacation-time morning routine.

“Ava?”

“Hmm?”

“I heard Papa. He was on a steamroll. If you want to say no, I am your person. He won’t let you.”

“Do you not want us to come?”

“I want you to come more than anything else.”

Her heartbeat settled. Her breath came easy.

“Then I have a few calls to make and they may go on all morning.”

“Your parents.”

“And Kresha. I don’t know what they’ll say.”

“I am here for whatever you need. I am ready to face them, whatever they throw at me.”

“Hmm…”

“And listen to me carefully now, Ava,” Samarth’s tone shifted, becoming heavy and commanding.

“You come with me or I stay back — it’s the three of us now.

I will prove it to you over and over again.

But try not to work yourself up over what-ifs.

Because where I am concerned, there is no what if. I am. And I will be. Alright?”

Her eyes misted.

“I said — alright?”

“Alright.”

“No crying now. I am not there to see that pretty face go all twisty.”

“Shut up.”

“I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Mmm…”

“Now give me an ‘I miss you’ and that noise Brahmi made.”

“Bye.”