The Cursed Princess of Suryagarh: Book 1

22. Blood ritual

Over the next half an hour, Aarush and Dr. Roshni explained their need to use the unborn child's blood in the ritual so that the princesses of the kingdom could be saved from the upcoming peril. Rajshri didn't ask too many questions and was willing to help them in whichever way she could, but she was still a bit reluctant about them using her child's blood, for she didn't know if it was even safe for the foetus.

But once Dr. Roshni assured the woman of the complete safety of the baby and that extracting a few drops of the blood should not harm the foetus in any way, Rajshri immediately agreed to the proposition.

A sudden bout of reverence for the woman hit Aarush, and his gaze softened as he peered at her. "I can never express enough gratitude, Rajshri."

Rajshri's palms were joined together in supplication. "It's the other way around, Your Highness. You have shown immense faith in me and supported me when I needed it the most. You have given me a new lease on life, provided me with the warmth of a home, and assured me of the security of my child. Dharamraj was right about you." Tears welled in her eyes. "You are a great man, bound to do great things."

Aarush had an awkward smile on his face due to the string of praises heaped on him, and he could only bob his head in acceptance.

Leaving the doctor and the woman in the former's chamber, Aarush, Jagdish, and Shreya made their way towards Agni Bhawan. The procedure for the extraction of blood was going to take twenty to thirty minutes, which could be utilized in setting up Meera's chamber for the ritual.

The bolted door outside Meera's room looked back at them, the massive metallic lock hanging from the iron hoops fastened to the wooden panels. Much to Shreya's surprise, Jagdish had forbidden Aarush from bringing anyone else along for the ritual, and he even went ahead himself to seek the keys to the room from the government officers sitting in the archaeological office within the campus. So, it was only the three of them with Jagdish now unlocking the door and throwing it open while Aarush had a scowl on his face.

The wooden door creaked when it was pushed aside, and a whiff of dust mingled with damp air hit their nostrils. Shreya gulped when she discerned how Aarush's visage had hardened and how the vein on his forehead was twitching. He had clenched his fists and glimpsed away when he saw her keenly peering at him.

Jagdish sighed and stepped inside, wheeling around the spot as his eyes went to each and every corner of the chamber. "Princess Meera's chambers. It remains locked all the time and hence the," he grimaced at the mass of cobwebs on the roof, "ill maintenance."

Aarush hesitated from going in. "Should I ask someone to clean it up before the ritual?"

"No," Jagdish said. "It will not be needed."

Seeing Aarush be so reluctant to enter the chamber, Shreya stepped her foot within the confines of the room. Two arch-shaped windows boarded shut but fashioned of glass and a metal grill allowed mellow illumination to flit through, the translucent material of the glass preventing her from discerning what lay beyond. Dust covered every inch of the floor and thick cobwebs spun by gigantic spiders hung from the ceilings and the walls. It was a small square-shaped room with no other piece of furniture or ornamentation embellishing it, but that one marble seat, shaped like a throne, withered over time and cracked on the edges, lay between the two windows opposite the door.

"Wow," she muttered. "This is that idiotic princess's room."

"Shreya!"

Aarush's gruff admonition echoed in the empty chamber and the bare antechamber, and Shreya could only roll her eyes in response as her arms locked in front of her chest. "Such affection for a dead woman who was not even loyal to the throne or the prince," she mumbled under her breath. "Apparently I carry her essence, but he is the one protective about her maligned reputation."