Far away, in the crimson-tinted lands of Pratham Brisk, Sarvansh stood beneath an eerie, ancient tree — its roots pulsing with an otherworldly red glow. Beside him stood Kesar, uncertain and frightened.
Sarvansh's voice was calm yet chilling. "You've seen what humans do, Kesar. Aditya's promises... your parents' rejection. They never saw your worth."
Kesar looked away, hurt shadowing her eyes.
Sarvansh stepped closer, his tone softer. "I won't betray you. I'm the son of a Daayan — I don't fear darkness, I command it. Be with me... and no one will ever hurt you again."
He extended his hand. "Marry me beneath this Daayan Vriksh. Let it bind us forever."
As he began the dark ritual, black energy coiled around them. Far away in the mortal world, Vihaan's pulse weakened, his head lolling as if life itself were being drained.
---
Scene – The Kothari Mansion, Drawing Room
Charvi and Shyom carefully lowered Vihaan onto the couch. His breathing grew shallow; every second his energy seemed to fade.
"His life force is slipping away," Sharda said urgently. "Sarvansh is stealing it through his ritual."
Veena's eyes filled with fear. "Then what do we do?"
Before anyone could answer, a sudden gust swept through the mansion, flinging open doors and rattling the chandelier. The light flickered, the air thickened with a strange, metallic scent.
All turned toward the grand doorway — and froze.
There stood Adrija, her expression twisted into something unrecognizable.
"Adrija…" Gayatri whispered, stepping forward with trembling hands. "Beta… what's happened to you?"
Adrija smirked, her eyes glinting an unnatural blue. "Don't call me that. The Adrija you knew died the day she was chosen by Pralay Daayan Manmohini."
"Manmohini?" Dadi gasped. "That name… it has brought total darkness into our family !"
Adrija's smile widened. "And yet her legacy breathes through me."
Her skin shimmered, her hair flowing upward as if caught in an unseen storm. Her eyes turned ghostly white; her voice deepened, carrying a shrill, echoing undertone.
"I am Banshee Daayan Adrija — the destroyer of Kotharis and the harbinger of Manmohini's vengeance!"
Gayatri's tears fell freely. "No, my daughter… this isn't you."
Adrija tilted her head, mocking. "You're right, Mother. I'm beyond human now."
Dark wind spiraled around her, cracking the marble floor. "And my first task is simple — kill Vihaan Kothari."
Veena instantly stood before Vihaan. "You'll have to go through me first in order to harm my son!"
A red mist hovered over the cursed lands of Pratham Brisk, the air thick with the scent of burning earth and ancient power. Beneath the towering, twisted Daayan Vriksh, its roots pulsing like veins of molten fire, Sarvansh stood with his hand raised, eyes closed in invocation.
Beside him, Kesar trembled. She didn't understand the symbols etched on the ground, or the strange wind swirling around them. But when Sarvansh looked at her, his gaze softened.
"The tree blesses us," he said, his voice smooth, deceit wrapped in warmth. "To complete our sacred bond, you must offer this flower at the well — a gesture of union, of loyalty."
He placed a crimson flower in her hand.
Kesar nodded innocently. "And this will bind our marriage?"
"Yes," Sarvansh replied, his lips curving into a dark smile. "Forever."
Unseen by them, Gauri and Yug watched from the shadows, hidden behind the roots of the Daayan Vriksh. The glow from the ritual illuminated their faces with flickering red light.
"Bhabhi…" Yug whispered. "He's… draining the tree's power through her!"
Gauri's eyes widened as she realized the horrifying truth. "Not just the tree, Yug — he's channeling Vihaan's life through it.that girl is the conduit!"
"What do we do?"
Gauri's voice was sharp, decisive. "You must stop her before she drops that flower into the well. That's not a marriage ritual — it's a death seal!"
Yug hesitated. "But what about you?"
"I'll handle Sarvansh," she said, her eyes glowing faintly as divine energy began to stir within her. "Go, Yug! Hurry — Vihaan's life depends on it!"
---
Scene – The Kothari Mansion
Daylight blazed through the mansion's wide windows, but the air was anything but warm. The chandeliers trembled; curtains fluttered without wind.
Adrija stood in the center of the hall, her face twisted with rage. Her braid began to unwind — then stretch — until it grew unnaturally long, coiling like a serpent behind her.
Gayatri gasped. "Adrija… what's happening to you?"
Adrija's eyes glowed a haunting silver. Without warning, her feet snapped backward, reversing direction with a sickening crack. She leapt backward — but instead of falling, she landed against the wall, her reversed feet gripping it like a gecko.
Dadi screamed. "Mahadev protect us!"
The family stared in frozen horror as Adrija scuttled up the wall and across the ceiling, her braid whipping in the air like a weapon.
"You can't save him!" she shrieked, her voice splitting into a banshee scream that shattered glass and rattled every mirror in the room.
The sound was unbearable. Veena and Gayatri clutched their ears, crying out. Charvi fell to her knees, her powers flickering. Shyom tried to chant a mantra, but his voice was drowned out by Adrija's scream.
"Enough!" Sharda shouted, raising her hand. She grabbed a vial of Gangajal from the prayer table and hurled it toward the ceiling.
The holy water burst midair, splattering across Adrija's face and chest. Smoke hissed where it touched her skin, and she howled, tumbling to the ground in fury.
But within seconds, the burn marks vanished. Her wounds healed right before their eyes, leaving her stronger — angrier.
"Your sacred water cannot destroy what's already been reborn in darkness!" she hissed.
"Quickly!" Sharda shouted. "Take Vihaan to the safe room!"
Charvi and Shyom rushed to lift Vihaan, who was barely conscious. His skin had paled further; dark veins were spreading along his neck — the effect of Sarvansh's growing strength.
As they carried him toward the corridor, Adrija slammed her hand into the floor, cracks spiderwebbing across the marble.
"You can't protect him from Manmohini's will!" she roared.
Her laughter echoed through the mansion, blending with the faint rumble of thunder that gathered in the skies above — the sign that the balance between light and shadow was beginning to break.