The air in the Kothari mansion grew heavier as Kamini's laughter slithered through every corner like poison. Her golden snake-eyes burned as she spread her hands wide, declaring, "I promised that I would come back,now I'm back and i will take my son away. This house… these bonds… they cannot hold him."
She turned sharply toward Sharda, a cruel smile curling on her lips. "You, Sharda… clever enough to recognize me. But cleverness does not make you strong. You cannot keep him from me."
Sharda stepped forward, her face pale but her voice steady. "You are not Vihaan's mother, Kamini. A mother gives life, not destruction. You may have given him blood, but you cannot take away his soul. And you will never harm the son of this family."
Her words struck like fire. Kamini's expression twisted with fury, her braid hissing as the snake-head at its tip flicked its tongue. Sharda's eyes brimmed with tears, yet she lifted her hand and cursed, "May you burn in the same fire you've trapped us all in, Kamini, for hurting the son who never belonged to you!"
The room shook under the weight of their clash. On the floor, Vihaan writhed in pain, blood staining his shirt where the chandelier's shards had pierced him. Yug fell to his knees beside him, desperate. His trembling hands reached for the iron bracelet clasped around Vihaan's wrist.
"Bhaiya… stay with me," Yug begged, his own eyes wet. He pulled at the band until his fingers bled. "If I can just get this off… your powers will heal you. Please…"
But Kamini turned toward them with a low chuckle. "Futile. Don't you see? Vihaan doesn't need your protection. He draws his strength from me. You've caged him with these chains of family and emotions… but he is mine. My blood."
She raised her voice, echoing through the hall, "Vihaan is no weakling bound by your sentiments. He is a lion, born to rule, not to be imprisoned in this farce of love. You've forgotten what he is — a Sarvansh. And when the fragile chain of emotions you cling to shatters, he will awaken. And when he awakens… he will kill you all."
The family froze, horror striking their faces. Sharda clutched Dadi's hand tightly, while Urvashi and Raani tried not to collapse in fear. But Kamini's gaze softened into a dangerous promise as she whispered, "I will not wait for the chain to break. I will break it myself. Vihaan is mine… and I will take him away tonight."
---
Far away, in the stillness of another realm, Gauri stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open to find herself surrounded by an ancient shrine. Idols of gods stood tall and divine, but beside them were grotesque statues of demons, their fangs bared, their eyes glinting with cruelty.
Confused, she staggered to her feet. The silence was broken by a deep, resonant voice.
"These idols… both god and demon… are made from the same mud. But it is their actions that shape their form. Just as all humans are born the same… yet their choices carve their destiny."
Gauri's breath hitched. Her mind began to whirl, memories flashing like lightning — Vihaan leaping into the dark well without hesitation, risking everything to reach her in the shadow realm. Vihaan standing before the crashing chandelier, his body shielding hers, bleeding but unyielding.
Tears slipped from her eyes as her voice cracked, whispering to herself, "He is not a monster… no matter what blood runs in his veins. A monster wouldn't have bled for me. A monster wouldn't have chosen me over himself."
Her heart thudded painfully. The realization settled over her like dawn breaking through storm clouds. "Vihaan… you are not your mother. You are not her darkness. You are mine… my light."
Gauri's eyes fluttered open, the cool grass brushing against her cheek. For a moment, she didn't recognize where she was — only the sound of her own shaky breathing and the faint echo of a divine voice still lingering in her ears. She blinked rapidly, sitting up, and the night sky came into focus.
"Didi!" Charvi's desperate cry reached her, and Gauri turned just in time to see her sister racing across the garden. Charvi threw herself beside her, tears streaking her face as she clutched Gauri's hands.
"You weren't waking up! I thought something had happened to you," Charvi sobbed.
Gauri drew her close, her arms trembling but protective. Her own tears spilled freely, but she forced herself to steady her voice. "Charvi… I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
Her mind replayed Vihaan's eyes flashing red, the hiss of his voice as he declared he was the son of a serpentine witch — a Sarvansh. And yet, woven through those memories was the image of him shielding her, bleeding beneath the crushing chandelier to save her life.
Gauri's heart ached. "He… he could have killed me, Charvi. But he didn't. He saved me."
Charvi pulled back slightly, frightened. "Then why did he attack you? Why, didi?"
Gauri shook her head, pressing her lips together. She didn't have all the answers — only the conviction that the man she'd seen fighting his own darkness was still Vihaan. "Something is forcing him, Charvi. I saw it in his eyes. He isn't the monster he fears he is. He's still my Vihaan… and I have to bring him back."
Her gaze shifted to the glowing windows of the mansion, where muffled shouts carried into the night. She rose to her feet, unsteady but resolute, pulling Charvi up with her. The grass clung to her saree, but she ignored it, her fists clenched.
"No matter what blood runs in his veins, his soul isn't evil. I'll prove it — I'll save him before this darkness swallows him whole."
The wind stirred, carrying her vow into the night. Charvi, though scared, held tighter to her sister's hand as Gauri turned toward the mansion with fire in her eyes.