*

The match was one for the ages. On the day Maharaja Uday Singh acceded Ranakpour to the Dominion of India, his middle son, Abhimanyu Singh Ranakpour, was holding his ground against a fiery bowling attack from the visiting team. The day Uday Singh formally surrendered his sovereignty in return for an allowance and promises of a seat in the new government, Abhimanyu was batting his way with the tail-enders to an unlikely victory. Earlier, he had bowled ferociously to take six wickets and reduced the visiting team to a paltry team total of 104 runs. A man whose life had been thrown into chaos had let it all out on the field that day. The batsmen and their stumps had to face the wrath of the determined prince as he seamed and swung the ball prodigiously to vanquish one and all. The best of the Baroda batsmen toppled like a house of cards until it was their turn to bowl. Ranakpour’s top order disappointed and it was up to Abhimanyu, known for his bowling, to bat them out of a hole as they found themselves staring at defeat – 44 runs overall, which came at the cost of 8 wickets. Abhimanyu had put up a fight and brought his team to a winning distance at 98 runs by first defending and then hitting lusty blows to the amazement of the crowd. Even Meera, who was watching the match from the royal balcony, had not seen that aspect of his game. To the spectators, Abhimanyu was a man possessed to win the game against all odds. His eyes were hyper-focused on each incoming delivery and every action purposeful and deliberate. Internally, however, the prince was distraught and his mind was far away from the game. The previous night had not brought any respite to the storm that brewed inside his head. Despite all his efforts, he did not have it in him to betray his family, especially his broken father. He had made up his mind to stand by Uday Singh’s wish and not pursue his relationship with Meera any further, but he did not have the courage to look Meera in the eye and tell her about his decision.