They began to rehearse in the basement.
Vihaan straightened his collar, pretending to face Kesar. "Uh… Kesar ji, I'm… sorry?"
Yug groaned. "That sounded like you're asking her to move out of your way, not for forgiveness."
Gauri laughed softly. "Vihaan, you have to mean it. Look into her eyes and speak from your heart."
Vihaan sighed, trying again. "Kesar, I know Sarvansh hurt you. If I could undo it, I would. I—"
He paused, the weight of his words suddenly hitting him. His voice softened. "I just don't know if any of us can fix what's breaking."
Gauri stepped closer, her tone gentler now. "Vihaan… you're not responsible for Sarvansh's mistakes. But your kindness can heal what he broke."
He looked at her with a quiet ache. "Gauri… I'm not even sure what's happening to us. If Sarvansh and I are connected somehow… what if I'm the reason all this chaos started?"
"Don't say that," she whispered, shaking her head. "You're the light in this darkness."
Vihaan took a deep breath and, after a long pause, admitted, "When we just got married, I did selfish things—things I thought would protect this family. But now I see how much they hurt you."
Gauri's eyes softened, shimmering with emotion.
"I'm sorry, Gauri," he said sincerely. "For all of it. I just want everyone—us, Kesar, even Sarvansh—to find peace."
Gauri hugged him tightly. "We will, Vihaan. We'll all live happily again, you'll see."
But before that peace could come, footsteps echoed near the basement door—Kesar was approaching.
Her anklets clinked with fury, each step sharp as a heartbeat.
"Vihaan," Gauri whispered urgently, "It's now or never."
He nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped out into the hallway, letting the shadows cloak him.
When Kesar arrived, she froze as "Sarvansh"—Vihaan in disguise—dropped to his knees before her.
"Kesar," he said, voice low and remorseful, "I've come to apologize… for everything I did. I was wrong to hurt you."
Kesar blinked, her rage faltering. "You're… apologizing?"
"Yes," he continued, looking up. "You deserve happiness, and Gauri—"
Her eyes widened. "Gauri?" she interrupted sharply.
Vihaan froze. Too late. The slip had given him away.
Her fury reignited instantly. "You're not Sarvansh!" she hissed, grabbing his collar.
Vihaan's eyes filled with panic. "Kesar, please—listen to me!"
But Kesar's grip tightened. "No, Vihaan. You're just like him. Selfish! Always protecting your own blood while letting others burn!"
Her aura flared, heat radiating from her palms as she held him by the throat. "Bring Sarvansh to me," she warned, her voice trembling with power and grief. "Or I swear, I'll kill you instead!"
From the shadows, Gauri and Yug rushed forward—but neither could reach before the air itself began to distort around Kesar, her rage drawing on something ancient and divine.
The air inside the mansion crackled with tension, every corner humming with unseen energy.
"Kesar, please!" Gauri's voice trembled as she shielded Vihaan with her body. The flames burning around Kesar's hands reflected in Gauri's tear-filled eyes. "He isn't your enemy—please don't hurt him."
Kesar's face contorted between rage and heartbreak, her breaths uneven. "He lied. He wore his face. I won't be fooled again."
"Kesar, you're not yourself," Gauri pleaded, inching closer. "You're stronger than this—don't let anger destroy the purity in you."
But the firebird's fury blazed brighter, and the floor beneath her feet cracked from the heat. Vihaan reached out weakly. "Let me talk to her—"
"No!" Gauri shouted, turning to him. "If she sees you again, it'll push her further over the edge."
She took one last glance at Kesar before sprinting out, her anklets ringing with desperate rhythm. "I'll bring him, Kesar—I'll bring Sarvansh. Just don't hurt anyone."
–––
Far away, under the ancient banyan that shadowed the forgotten temple, Adrija knelt before a dark, spectral flame. Her eyes were hollow with shame.
"I failed you, Manmohini," she whispered. "I couldn't end the Kotharis."
A voice—silken and venomous—rose from the flame. "Failure, Adrija, is a luxury I never taught you." The outline of Mohini emerged from the smoke, her crimson veil flickering like blood in motion.
"Your redemption lies in the firebird. Use her," Mohini hissed. "Kesar's soul bird still slumbers. Control it—and you'll control her. Fail again, and I'll make sure your screams echo beyond death."
Adrija bowed, trembling. "Yes, my queen."
–––
Meanwhile, in the forest clearing beyond the city's edge, Yug and Charvi stood before the silver portal Pratham Vanshi had conjured. Her ethereal form shimmered like the moon.
"She's losing herself to her element," Pratham Vanshi warned. "The only way to calm Kesar is through her bird. Her flame companion."
Yug frowned. "Then tell us where it is. We'll get it back."
"In her village," the sage replied gravely. "Her foster parents keep it captive. But you must hurry—her fire will soon consume her entirely."
Charvi's face paled. "That's hours away from here. By the time we return, it might be too late."
Pratham Vanshi's eyes glowed. "Then I shall grant you a path through realms."
With a sweep of her hand, a luminous doorway rippled open—its inside filled with a golden whirl of energy. "Go," she urged. "Bring the bird. Restore the balance."
As Yug and Charvi stepped into the light, one of the other wise women turned to the Vanshi.
"Guru Maa, you could end this faster if you tell them the truth—that Gauri and Kesar are not merely water and fire birds, but twin sisters."
Pratham Vanshi's gaze lowered. "Not yet," she said quietly. "If they learn now, emotion will cloud purpose. Let destiny reveal it when their hearts are ready."
–––