The Cursed Princess of Suryagarh: Book 1

20. The man who can't die

Rajshri smiled feebly and shook her head. "Yes, Your Highness. I was in Sumedhnagar last evening because that was the first bus I could find from Rampur. I boarded the bus to Suryagarh from Sumedhnagar this morning. Last night, I was trying to blend in with the crowd. Perhaps madam saw me there. At the fair."

Aarush peeked at Shreya and quirked his brows at her.

She pursed her lips shut and bobbed her head.

He let out a shallow breath. "I am trusting you, Rajshri. I am placing all my faith in your story despite having my suspicions regarding Dharamraj not informing me before getting married. But still, I am trusting you. Do not let me down." The iciness returned in his tone and visage. "I won't forgive you."

She snivelled. "You will not be disappointed, Prince. My allegiance lies with the throne of Suryagarh and the royal family of the Chauhans. Whatever I have said is the absolute truth, and I can swear on my unborn child that I—"

"That's enough!" Aarush's cold voice echoed in the chamber, and she immediately fell silent. Softening his gaze and tone, he said, "I assure you no harm shall befall you or your child, and Dharamraj shall be avenged. Welcome to Suryagarh."

***

A royal command was issued, and the servants ran hither and thither to fulfil the same. Rajshri was to be chaperoned within the palace and escorted at all times because of the high possibility of the woman and her baby being the next victims of the enemy, for they were well aware of the existence of both. Hence, Rajshri was accompanied by Meethi as the latter took the former inside the palace and allotted her a room on the ground floor of the edifice. Her needs were to be taken care of on an urgent basis, and Dr. Roshni—a resident doctor for the resort—was going to attend to Rajshri whenever required.

However, Shreya could tell Aarush was pondering over something with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose and his feet tapping the floor in the living area. So, she plopped on the couch across from him, propped her elbows on her knees, placed her palms on her cheeks, and let out an elongated, very audible sigh.

That grabbed his attention, and he peered at her. "What is it?"

She flashed him a tight-lipped smile. "The curse can be broken now, right? Rajshri's baby has Meera's blood."

A raspy breath escaped his throat. "Why would Dharamraj not tell me about the wedding?" He frowned. "Something doesn't add up. This was not a matter to be hidden from the Protectors, and—"

"Oh, Princey!" she squealed. "You are never happy with anything, are you? Revel over the fact that Adya can be easily saved from the curse now. Meera's distant relative might have his own inhibitions. He might be afraid of your outlandish temper. Not everyone can tame the lion as well as Shreya Awasthy can, right?"

His frigid gaze flickered to her before he looked away. She was busy giggling over her terrible joke, and he was consciously fighting the grin, putting in additional effort by chomping on his lips. At the same time, he was thoroughly unconvinced by what she had to say. He could tell there was some foul play at work because of which either Dharamraj hid the truth or was coerced into concealing his marriage from Aarush and the high priest. Something didn't add up indeed. Clicking his tongue, he said, "I have a meeting to get to, Miss Awasthy. If all the frolicking and recreation is out of the way, I have some professional commitments to cater to."

Her face fell, and she scowled at him. "You talk so much, Princey!" With a flair in her demeanour, she sprang up to her feet but halted before striding off. Hesitantly, she turned towards him. "I do have one teeny tiny doubt, though. If you have to cross Suryagarh before reaching Sumedhnagar from the town where Rajshri lived, why did she not stop in Suryagarh yesterday? Instead, she went all the way to..." Shaking her head feebly, she spun on her heels and went away.