Gauri instinctively stepped back, her hand flying to her hairline. She stared at the bright vermilion smeared across her fingers, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
Vihaan's gaze remained steady on her, unflinching, as the wind whipped around them and lightning split the sky above, casting sharp, fleeting shadows over their tense standoff.
"How dare you—!" Gauri's voice cracked with fury. Before Vihaan could react, her hand shot forward, landing a sharp slap across his face.
The thunder clapped almost simultaneously, as if echoing her outrage, while the rain began to patter lightly around them, threatening to wash away the vermilion. Vihaan's expression remained unreadable, but his eyes burned with determination as he watched her seethe.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze amidst the storm—the clash of anger, surprise, and unresolved tension hanging palpably in the air.
Before Gauri could gather her thoughts, Vihaan's phone buzzed. He glanced at it and saw Yug calling. Without a word to Gauri, he answered.
"Mom…?" Vihaan's voice was tight, laced with fear.
"She's stable now," Yug replied, relief clear in his tone.
Vihaan's jaw clenched. Without another word, he hung up, his eyes locking on Gauri's for a fleeting second—intense, unyielding, resolute—before he turned and bolted toward his car.
Gauri stood frozen, her chest heaving. She watched as he slid into the driver's seat, started the engine, and sped off, the stormy sky above mirroring the storm raging in her heart.
The vermilion still glimmered faintly on her hairline. She sank to her knees, rain mixing with her tears, shattered—stunned by his audacity, furious at the betrayal, and confused by the raw intensity of the moment.
Thunder rolled overhead, shaking the air, while lightning illuminated the anguish etched on her face, leaving her alone in the storm with the weight of what had just happened.
Gauri sank to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she let out a piercing cry. "Aahhh!" Her voice echoed through the storm, raw with anguish and disbelief.
Meanwhile, Vihaan sped toward the Kothari mansion, his mind laser-focused on his mother. He skidded to a stop, flung open the car door, and ran inside.
Inside, the scene was calmer than he feared—Veena was seated, looking weak but alive, surrounded by the rest of the family. Relief surged through him as he sprinted to her side and wrapped her in a tight hug.
"Mom! Are you okay?" he asked, his voice thick with worry.
Veena's frail hands stroked his back, a gentle smile on her lips. "I'm fine now, beta. I promise… I'm feeling better."
Pratham Vanshi stepped closer, her sharp gaze fixing on Vihaan. "Did you… apply the vermilion to Gauri?" she asked, her voice edged with both inquiry and caution.
Vihaan's eyes hardened. "Yes."
Veena's eyes widened in shock, her voice trembling as she spoke. "What… what have you done, Vihaan? You married… Gauri? That shameless bar dancer?"
The room fell into stunned silence, every eye on Vihaan as he stood frozen, the weight of his choice settling heavily on his shoulders.
Pratham Vanshi's voice was calm but firm as she addressed Veena. "Veena, Vihaan is right. I instructed him to marry Gauri. That action alone saved your life."
Veena's face twisted in disbelief and anger. "Saved my life? She's… she's just a cheap, immoral bar dancer! She can never be Vihaan's wife, or the daughter-in-law of this house!"
Pratham Vanshi's gaze was steady. "You aren't fully healed yet. For the curse to be fully broken, Vihaan must marry Gauri properly and bring her into this house as his wife."
Veena's voice rose, shaking with outrage. "Never! That girl will never be my daughter-in-law!"
Dadi stepped forward, her tone sharp and authoritative. "Veena, stop it now. Gauri is the daughter-in-law of this house. Adrija has run away, and we have no idea where she is. You must accept this."
Veena's hands trembled, but she said nothing further, the weight of the situation pressing down on her.
---
Meanwhile, on the Witch Island, the air was thick and suffocating. Adrija was tied to the daayan vriksh by its thick, gnarled roots. Her wrists and ankles were bound tightly, and the tree's sinister energy pulsed through her veins, making it impossible to move.
"Please… let me go!" Adrija cried, her voice echoing through the dark forest. "I didn't do anything! I just… I just ran away!"
A cloaked figure emerged from the shadows, her presence chilling and commanding. Nishi revealed herself, her eyes gleaming with a cruel satisfaction. "You were running, little one, but I intercepted you. I cloaked you, so Vihaan couldn't use his powers to track you."
Adrija's eyes widened in fear. "Why… why are you doing this?!"
Nishi tilted her head, a sinister smile on her lips. "One thing still baffles me… if you were truly the God-sent Jalpanchi, how could you so easily be harmed and kidnapped?"
Adrija struggled against the roots, but the daayan vriksh held her firmly. "I don't understand… what do you mean?"
Nishi's voice dripped with malice. "This family's fate… the curse… the truth of Jalpanchi… all of it is far more complicated than you realize."
Lightning split the sky over the Witch Island, casting eerie shadows across the captive girl as the wind howled through the forest. Adrija's heart raced, the realization of her peril pressing down on her.