Meanwhile, back at the Kothari mansion, Vihaan landed on the lawn with feline precision, his sharp gaze locked on the shadowy figure that had leapt from his balcony.
The figure straightened, the moonlight finally spilling across her face. She was a striking woman, her smile dark and alluring.
"Who are you?" Vihaan demanded, his voice steely.
The woman's lips curled. "I am a witch."
Before his eyes, her transformation began—her braid slithered down unnaturally, lengthening and twisting like a snake; her nails stretched into razor-sharp talons; her irises glowed a venomous yellow.
"My name is Nishigandha," she said, bowing with eerie grace. "But you may call me Nishi."
Vihaan's jaw tightened. "Why have you come here?"
She lifted her head slowly, her smile widening. "For you, my lord."
Vihaan stiffened, taken aback. "What nonsense is this?"
Her eyes glittered with reverence and hunger. "It is no nonsense. You are Sarvansh… King of the Dark World. The son of the serpent witch, Kamini. Your destiny is written in blood and shadow—and I have come to serve you."
Nishi's voice dripped with venom as she prowled around him, her braid slithering across the ground like a serpent.
"These humans…" she spat, her glowing eyes flicking toward the mansion, "…whom you foolishly call family, snatched you away from your true mother. They dared to separate the Dark Lord from his queen—the serpent witch Kamini. They feared your power even as an infant, so they stole you and raised you as their own."
Vihaan's eyes darkened, but his face remained composed. He already knew this truth, and yet hearing it from Nishi's lips twisted his insides.
Nishi's smirk sharpened. She stepped closer, lowering her voice to a whisper that slithered into his ears. "You were never theirs, my lord. You were born Sarvansh—the heir of Kamini. And now… only you can break her chains of stone and awaken her. With mother and son united, the world of witches, serpents, and humans will kneel before you."
She bowed deeply, her long nails brushing the grass. "It is your destiny."
Vihaan's fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tight, but he gave her nothing—no anger, no denial. Only silence, the calm mask of a man at war with himself.
Misreading it, Nishi's yellow eyes gleamed with triumph. "I can already feel it… the darkness stirring in you. That is Kamini's gift. That is who you truly are."
Vihaan finally spoke, his voice cold, cutting through the night. "Enough."
But the silence he had kept until then lingered heavier than her words—dangerous, full of conflict, and not so easily dismissed.
Meanwhile, back at the highway, Gauri's heart pounded as the hooded man drew closer, the metal pipe screeching against the road.
"Help!" she cried out, stumbling backward, her breath ragged. In her panic, her foot struck a thorn hidden in the gravel. Pain shot through her leg, and she winced, but still, she forced herself to run, tears streaming down her face.
The hooded man's pace was steady, relentless, the pipe dragging like a predator savoring the chase.
Gauri's chest heaved as she ran blindly, but fate betrayed her—she crashed into a stone on the roadside and fell hard, scraping her palms. She gasped, eyes wide, trying to crawl backward as her trembling hand pointed toward the figure approaching in the distance.
Suddenly, a gentle touch rested on her head. Gauri whipped around, startled. An old woman stood behind her, her eyes calm, her smile strangely comforting.
"B-Ba… baa…" Gauri stammered, panic choking her words as she pointed again at the hooded man.
The old woman's voice was soft yet powerful, cutting through Gauri's fear.
"Child, running away from a problem never solves it. The more you run, the more it chases you."
Gauri shook her head, breathless. "He… he'll hurt me…"
The woman's hand lingered warmly on her shoulder. "No, beti. Stand. Face it. Only when you fight do problems begin to fade."
Gauri's tears slowed as her gaze flicked between the woman's serene face and the hooded figure steadily approaching. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to breathe.
But when she turned back—the woman was gone.
A shiver ran down her spine. Had it been real, or just her mind conjuring hope?
Wiping her tears roughly with the back of her hand, Gauri planted her feet firmly on the ground. Fear still clawed at her chest, but something deeper—stronger—pushed her to rise.
Her jaw tightened. Her fists curled. She stood tall.
The hooded man's shadow stretched closer, but this time, Gauri wasn't crawling away. She was ready to face him.