The wedding hall echoed with chants as the priest recited the mantras, the sacred fire burning bright in the center. Raani and Bharat sat side by side, garlands around their necks, while the family watched with teary smiles. Gauri moved between the guests, making sure everything was perfect, her heart swelling with pride.
Just then, a small piece of paper fluttered down from above, landing softly in her hand. She frowned, unfolding it.
"Come to the backyard garden. I have a surprise for you."
Her lips parted, surprise mingling with a shy smile. A surprise? From whom…? She thought immediately of Vihaan. For days now, he had been acting strange—staring at her when he thought she wasn't looking, losing focus whenever she was near, making excuses to follow her around.
Her cheeks warmed. Could it be… ACP Vihaan Kothari is actually in love with me?
She tucked the paper into her saree pallu, stealing one last glance at Raani and Bharat, silently praying that their wedding would remain safe and blessed. With a hopeful smile, she slipped away toward the backyard.
The garden looked transformed. Strings of glowing lanterns swayed gently in the night breeze, fireflies dancing among them, casting the place in an almost magical glow. Gauri's heart fluttered.
This is beautiful… this has to be Vihaan's doing.
She took a step further when suddenly, someone came up behind her.
Warm hands slid over her eyes, blindfolding her. Gauri stiffened, then laughed nervously. "Vihaan…?" she whispered, her voice soft with anticipation.
But as the stranger's fingers laced around hers, a shiver ran down her spine. No—this wasn't his touch. She knew Vihaan's touch, strong yet protective. This was cold, unfamiliar, almost predatory.
Her smile vanished. Her body tensed. "Wait… you're not Vihaan. Who are you?"
She tried to raise her hands to remove the blindfold, panic creeping into her chest, but before she could, the person muttered something under their breath. A sudden wave of dark magic surged through her body, numbing her limbs.
Her lips parted to scream, but no sound came out. Her knees buckled.
The last thing she felt before collapsing into unconsciousness was the stranger's grip tightening around her wrist and a cold, triumphant whisper brushing against her ear—
"Shhh… you belong to me now."
And then—darkness.
The stranger carried Gauri's unconscious body away, melting into the shadows just as Vihaan arrived at the decorated garden. His face brightened with anticipation, his heart pounding.
She'll love this… she has to.
He glanced around, waiting for her laugh, her voice calling his name. But silence answered him.
"Gauri?" he called gently. No response.
His gaze dropped—and his heartbeat skipped. Just near the grass, half-hidden beneath the lantern glow, lay a delicate slipper. He bent down, picking it up, his chest tightening as recognition struck.
"This is… Gauri's." His voice trembled. His mind raced. She was here. She came… then where—where did she go?
"Gauri!" he called louder, panic edging into his tone. He searched frantically between the trees and pathways, but there was no sign of her.
Suddenly, the garden filled with a shimmer of golden light. Fireflies—hundreds of them—began to glow brighter, swarming around him in a spiral.
Vihaan froze, staring in awe. The fireflies hovered in front of him for a moment, almost as if waiting… then drifted slowly toward the jungle.
A chill swept through him. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. But deep in his gut, he felt these tiny lights weren't random; they were guiding him.
Clutching Gauri's slipper in his fist, Vihaan's jaw tightened. "If this leads me to you, Gauri… I'll follow it. No matter what."
Without another thought, he ran after the trail of glowing fireflies, into the darkness of the jungle.
Inside the cave, Yug paced nervously, his eyes darting between the giant statue and Charvi. The flickering light from their phone torches danced across Kamini's petrified form, her frozen features more terrifying in the silence.
Yug finally broke the silence, his voice low but shaken.
"Charvi… this doesn't make sense. Kamini came to our house just days ago to take Bhaiya. I saw her with my own eyes. Then how—how is she still trapped here as stone?"
Charvi's brows furrowed, unease coursing through her. "I don't know, Yug. But if she's here… and she was also at your house… then something much darker is happening. We have to inform your family before it's too late."
Yug nodded quickly. "You're right. Let's go. Come on."
The two turned and hurried out of the cave, their footsteps echoing against the cold stone walls.
As soon as their shadows vanished, silence swallowed the cave once again. Then, slowly… the statue's eyes glowed a deep, menacing red. A faint crack ran along the stone surface, as if the monster within was beginning to stir.