Kothari Mansion – Corridor, Night
The house had gone quiet after the long day. Only the faint glow of the corridor lamps lit the way. Yug leaned against the railing, watching Vihaan pace restlessly.
Yug smirked. "I told you, Bhaiya. Bhabhi isn't selfish or bad like you thought. She's a gem. Imagine… she actually came back here even though she knows this house is haunted. Not by one witch… but witches, plural."
Vihaan's footsteps slowed. His face softened, his usual sternness giving way to thoughtfulness.
"Maybe you're right, Yug. I had a big misunderstanding about Gauri."
A pause hung in the air before he added with a small smile,
"She must be hungry. She didn't eat since yesterday. In the morning, I overheard her talking about forty vada pav…"
Yug blinked, raising a brow. "Forty? Who eats forty vada pav?"
Ignoring the remark, Vihaan turned toward the kitchen. "Come on, help me prepare them."
Yug followed, baffled. "Wait, Bhaiya… are we throwing a secret midnight party? Did you invite the chawl people without telling me?"
Vihaan gave him a side glance. "No. These are for Gauri."
Yug stopped in his tracks, his jaw dropping.
"For Bhabhi? Forty vada pav?"
Vihaan nodded, dead serious. "Yes."
Yug whistled, breaking into a grin.
"Wow… if this is how you show care, Bhaiya, then God help Bhabhi when you decide to romance her. You'll probably buy out the whole vada pav stall!"
Vihaan shook his head, hiding a reluctant smile. "Just start chopping the onions, Yug."
Yug chuckled under his breath, still teasing.
"Bhabhi is truly lucky. Other girls get flowers and chocolates… but our Bhabhi gets forty vada pavs straight from the ACP's kitchen. That's next-level romance!"
Vihaan's Room, Night
Gauri sat on the edge of the bed, clutching her phone tightly, her voice urgent but low.
"Doctor sir, I'm so relieved you've found a donor. Please, just hold on. I promise I'll arrange the money somehow, but don't cancel the surgery."
At the doorway, Vihaan appeared quietly, carrying a tray stacked with steaming vada pav. He paused, his expression hardening as he caught only the last words—
"…I promise I'll arrange the money somehow, just hold on."
His jaw clenched.
Slowly, he set the tray aside and stepped inside, clapping his hands together, each clap echoing with cold sarcasm.
"Well, well, well. Looks like you haven't changed at all."
Gauri's head snapped up, startled, the tension from her call still etched on her face.
Vihaan's voice dripped with scorn.
"I thought for a moment that you returned because you cared for this family. But no—you're still the same. Always finding new ways to ask for money."
Gauri rose to her feet, anger sparking in her eyes. "Vihaan—what are you saying? You've misunderstood—"
But he cut her off sharply.
"Don't act innocent with me, Gauri. After all, you were just a bar singer and dancer, weren't you? A woman like you will always have a price. Tell me—how much? How much money will it take for you to stay here?"
Her face flushed with fury, her hands trembling—not with fear, but rage.
Before he could utter another word, her palm flew.
SLAP!
The sound cracked across the room, echoing off the walls.
Vihaan's head snapped to the side, his cheek burning red, shock flashing in his eyes.
Gauri's chest heaved, her voice shaking with anger.
"Don't you ever insult me like that again, Vihaan!"
The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by the faint clatter of the tray outside the door.
The sting of Gauri's slap still lingered on Vihaan's cheek, the red mark glaring like a wound to his pride. Gauri's eyes burned with unshed tears, her chest heaving as she glared at him.
"You don't know the truth, Vihaan," she spat, her voice trembling. "Without knowing anything, you only know how to jump to conclusions!"
She turned sharply, heading for the door.
But before she could leave, Vihaan's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. He yanked her back with a force that pulled her into his storming gaze.
"Oh, you want truth?" his voice was low, dangerous, and biting. "Fine then, tonight we will speak only about truth."
His grip tightened, his eyes boring into hers.
"I will tell you my truth," he said, each word laced with venom. Then, with a cruel pause, he added, "And you… you will tell me your disgusting truth."
The room crackled with tension, his words hanging in the air like fire ready to ignite. Gauri's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding as anger and hurt collided inside her.
Vihaan's face twisted in anger, his jaw tightening as he closed his eyes, struggling to control the storm inside him. But when he opened them again, his restraint shattered—his true form burst forth.
The room trembled. Objects levitated into the air, rattling violently. His eyes glowed with an eerie, demonic fire, his aura expanding until it consumed every corner of the space.
"You don't understand who I am, do you?" Vihaan's voice thundered, layered with power that didn't sound human. He stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "So let me tell you a truth."
His voice dropped into a growl, but its weight was heavier than any shout.
"I am Vihaan,A Sarvansh—the king of a demonic realm, feared by all witches. My family is my everything… and I will do whatever it takes to protect them."
Gauri's eyes widened in terror, her breath caught in her throat as the truth unfolded before her eyes. She stared at the floating objects, the energy pulsing like a storm, and the unearthly glow in his eyes.
Frozen in fear, she took a step back, her lips trembling, until instinct screamed at her to run. Without another word, she spun around and fled the room as fast as her legs could carry her—Vihaan's booming voice demanding her "truth" echoing behind her, unheard.
---
Meanwhile – Kothari Basement
Nishi, the trapped witch, sat inside the shimmering magical cage, her eyes burning with fury. She could feel it—a familiar aura brushing the edges of her senses.
Jalpanchi.
Her rage spiked. Sparks of dark magic flared from her fingers as she thrashed against the invisible walls, the cage vibrating with her violent attempts. But the spell held strong, tightening with every strike.
"NO!" Nishi roared, her voice guttural, shaking the basement walls. "If Jalpanchi returns, everything I've worked for will crumble!"
Her screams of fury echoed through the mansion, but the family upstairs only felt a chill crawl down their spines, unaware of the storm brewing below.