Gauri's world crumbled as she rushed Charvi to the hospital, her heart racing with fear.
"Please, doctor, save her," she begged, tears streaming down her face.
The doctor and nurses swiftly took Charvi from her, rushing her to the emergency room. Gauri collapsed onto the chair outside, sobbing uncontrollably as she waited for news.
Meanwhile, Vihaan burst into Kothari Mansion, his eyes scanning frantically for his mother. He spotted Veena lying unconscious on the couch, surrounded by his family members – Dadi, Urvashi, Yug, and Raani.
"Mom, Mom, wake up!" Vihaan cried, shaking with fear. "What happened? How did this happen?" he demanded, looking at Yug and the others for answers.
The scene shifted to a flashback – Kothari Mansion trembling violently as if shaken by an unseen force. The family rushed downstairs, confused and frightened.
"What's happening?" Urvashi asked, her voice trembling.
Dadi's eyes fixed on the Tulsi pot by the courtyard, which was trembling, its leaves shaking unnaturally. The oil lamps flickered, casting eerie shadows.
"A daayan is doing this," Dadi declared, her voice grave.
Veena's face contorted with worry. "What if Kamini has come to take my son?" she whispered, her voice laced with fear.
Urvashi and Yug tried to calm her, but before they could, a blood-curdling scream echoed from outside. The family rushed to the door to find Vihaan writhing on the ground, trapped in a circle of fire.
"Save me, Mom!" Vihaan screamed, his voice desperate.
Dadi tried to stop Veena, warning her it might be a trap, but Veena rushed to her son's aid, ignoring the danger. As she entered the fire circle, she felt an unseen force pulling her in.
Just as Veena reached Vihaan, his body transformed, and Nishigandha's sinister form emerged. Her braids snaked out, wrapping Veena tightly, shocking the entire family.
Nishigandha's eyes gleamed with malevolence as she taunted Veena, her voice dripping with venom.
"Foolishness, Veena, to think you could save him. Now you're trapped, and with you, I'll compel Vihaan to embrace the darker sides of his nature."
Her braids tightened around Veena, holding her captive. Nishigandha's laughter echoed through the night, sending shivers down the spines of the Kothari family.
Nishigandha's eyes blazed with dark intent as she raised her hand, and a black fog swirled towards Veena. The fog enveloped her chest, and she felt an icy chill spreading through her heart.
"With time, your heart will harden like stone," Nishigandha hissed, her voice like a curse. "You'll wither away, and death will claim you."
Veena's eyes widened in horror as Nishigandha continued,
"Vihaan will want to save his precious mother. He'll have no choice but to come to me, to surrender to the darkness that lies within him."
The black fog seeped deeper into Veena's being, leaving her gasping for breath. Nishigandha's laughter echoed once more, a cold, mirthless sound.
Veena's eyes rolled back, and she fainted, her body limp. Nishigandha's form vanished in a flash of darkness, leaving the Kothari family in shock.
The family rushed to Veena's side, concern etched on their faces. Dadi cradled Veena's head, while Urvashi and Yug tried to revive her.
The scene faded back to the present, with Vihaan frantically trying to wake his mother, still unconscious on the couch. The worry and fear in his eyes reflected the turmoil that had unfolded in the flashback.
Vihaan got up, his eyes fixed on the family's small mandir in the mansion. He walked towards it, his footsteps heavy with determination. As he reached the mandir, he fell to his knees, his palms folded in prayer before the idols of Lord Shiva and Maa Durga.
"Bhagwan, my mom has so much faith in you," Vihaan said, his voice cracking with emotion. "She's always prayed to you, always believed in your power. How could you let anything happen to her? Why didn't you save her?"
Tears streamed down Vihaan's face as he continued,
"You have to save her, Bhagwan. You have to protect her. I won't let anything happen to her, I won't let her go. She's the only one who's ever loved me unconditionally, who's ever believed in me."
Vihaan's voice rose in desperation, "I'll do anything, just save her. I'll give up anything, just don't take her away from me."
With shaking hands, Vihaan reached out to take the trishul from the mandir. As his skin touched it, he felt a searing pain from its divine aura, but he didn't flinch.
The family watched in shock as Vihaan's hands smoked, his skin burning, but he persisted. Finally, he managed to pull the trishul free, its sharp edge gleaming under the light.
Vihaan stood, clutching the trishul tightly, the burns on his hands a testament to his determination. He walked towards Veena, holding it before her like a shield, a symbol of hope and protection.
As he approached his mother, Vihaan's eyes locked onto hers, willing her to wake up, to come back to him. The trishul seemed to radiate an intense energy, and Vihaan hoped it would be enough to counter the daayan's dark magic that had taken hold of Veena.
At the hospital, the doctor's stern expression made Gauri's heart sink. "How could you let Charvi go through such stress, knowing her heart condition?" the doctor reprimanded.
Gauri's eyes welled up with tears as she cried out, "Is she alright? Please tell me she's alright!"
The doctor's expression softened slightly. "For now, yes. But we need to discuss her upcoming surgery. Charvi requires immediate attention, and the procedure needs to be scheduled within a month's time."
Gauri's face went pale as the doctor continued, "If we delay beyond that, it might be too late. The condition of her heart is deteriorating rapidly."
The words hit Gauri like a ton of bricks, and she felt like she'd been punched in the gut.
"A month?" she whispered, shock and fear etched on her face.