Vihaan rushed into his room, his chest still heavy with guilt. His eyes went straight to the mirror. He pressed his palm against the cold surface and whispered desperately, "Gauri, are you here… please answer me."
The mirror quivered faintly, like ripples in water, but remained silent.
In the shadow realm, Gauri clutched her dupatta tightly as the guttural growl returned. A screech tore through the air, sharp enough to rattle the broken chandeliers above. Her heartbeat raced. She scrambled back until her hand hit the edge of a table and she quickly crawled under it, curling herself into the shadows.
The ruined mansion creaked around her as if it too were alive. Black smoke slid across the walls, twisting into long claw-like shapes that stretched toward her hiding place. The footsteps were closer now, heavy and deliberate, echoing through the hollow halls.
Gauri pressed her forehead to the dusty floor, tears slipping down her cheeks. In her silence, fear clawed at her, but deep inside she still clung to a fragile thought. If Vihaan could once feel her pain, maybe he was searching for her now.
Vihaan's eyes burned as fresh tears welled up. He pressed both hands on the mirror, his voice breaking as he pleaded, "Gauri, please… answer me. Just tell me you're there. I can't lose you, not like this." His tears slid down, leaving trails on the glass as if they were trying to reach her.
Inside the shadow realm, Gauri trembled under the table. Her eyes widened when she saw Vihaan's figure in the mirror, his face soaked with pain. Her heart ached to run to him, to scream his name, but the heavy footsteps drew nearer, echoing like death itself.
Her body shook as she clamped a hand over her mouth, forcing her sobs to silence. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks as she looked at Vihaan, desperately wanting him to know she was right there, watching him, yet too terrified to move.
The shadow stretched across the ruined floor, claw-like fingers reaching closer and closer to where she hid.
Meanwhile in her room, Veena paced restlessly, her heart heavy with regret. For years she had convinced herself that keeping Kamini's truth buried was for Vihaan's protection, but now she saw how deeply she had played into Kamini's hands. Her chest tightened as she whispered, "I was blind… Kamini tricked me all along. And Gauri… she's suffering because of me."
Resolute, Veena turned toward the door, deciding she would reveal everything to the family. Her trembling hands reached for the handle when suddenly the floor beneath her shimmered with a sickly crimson glow. A demonic magic circle erupted beneath her feet, its lines twisting like serpents.
Veena gasped, clutching her throat as invisible chains wrapped around her body. The circle pulsed, sealing her in place, and she cried out in horror. "No… Kamini!"
Her voice cracked as shadows snaked up her legs, locking her in the circle while her attempts to break free only tightened the magical hold.
As Veena struggled inside the glowing circle, her eyes darted toward the tall mirror in the room. The glass rippled like water, and from its depths, a dark shadow began to take form. Kamini's silhouette emerged, her cruel smile flickering within the darkness.
"Poor Veena," the shadow sneered, her voice echoing like a thousand whispers. "All these years, you thought you were protecting Vihaan from me. Yet every step you took… every choice you made… was exactly what I wanted."
Veena's eyes widened, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No… I tried to keep him safe from you."
Kamini's shadow leaned closer to the glass, her features sharpening in the reflection. "Safe? You were my puppet. You thought you could erase me, but blood cannot be erased. Vihaan is my son… and now I'm coming to take what is mine."
Veena shook her head desperately, crying out, "No, please, don't take him from me… he's my son!"
Kamini's laughter rang out cold and hollow, reverberating through the room. The mirror pulsed with darkness, and the circle beneath Veena flared brighter, tightening its hold until Veena collapsed to her knees, sobbing helplessly as the shadow loomed larger.
Downstairs, the family gathered in a heavy silence, their eyes fixed on the words Kamini is back that Charvi had written before collapsing. Urvashi's voice trembled as she clutched Shyom's arm, "Could it… could it be true? Has Kamini really returned?"
Sharda's face drained of color, her composure cracking for the first time. Dadi pressed her palms together, whispering a prayer, while the others shifted uneasily. Fear rippled through the Kothari mansion like a storm.
Suddenly, the sound of a wooden staff striking the marble floor echoed across the hall. Tak… tak… tak… The doors creaked open, and an elderly woman draped in layers of ochre and grey walked in. Her long silver hair fell in braids, her forehead marked with sacred ash, and her piercing eyes gleamed with ancient wisdom.
It was Pratham Vanshi, the old seer who only appeared in times of great peril.
Everyone stood frozen as she entered, leaning on her staff that glowed faintly at the tip. "Yes," her voice rang with authority, silencing the murmurs, "Kamini has returned. Her shadow once more stains this house."
Dadi stepped forward with trembling lips, "But how can this be, Vanshiji? Kamini was destroyed years ago…"
Pratham Vanshi shook her head gravely. "A spirit like hers can never be destroyed—only banished. And now she has found her way back." Her eyes swept the room, then landed on the faint vermillion stains where Charvi had collapsed. She struck her staff against the floor. "She has already imprisoned Gauri in the Shadow Realm. That girl is trapped between mirrors and ruin, a prey for Kamini's creatures."