Yug called from the dining table, "Gauri bhabhi, bring more kheer for Bhaiya! He loved it!"
Vihaan tried to decline, rubbing at his throat, "No, no, it's—" but Shyom interrupted with a booming laugh, "Eat till your heart's content, Vihaan! You deserve it!"
Vihaan's eyes widened behind a polite smile; inside he wondered how to admit the truth—how could he tell them the kheer tasted like seawater?—so he forced the smile and kept it.
Gauri headed into the kitchen humming, scooped a bowl, and handed it to the helper. "Take this to Vihaan, I'll have some juice," she said, already turning away.
As she reached for a glass, fate—or something darker—conspired. Her elbow clipped the pot. The heavy ladle tipped; the kheer sloshed and struck the floor in a wet, humiliating splatter.
A tiny brown mouse, bold as smoke, scurried from beneath a cupboard and, drawn by the sweet spill, began to dine.
Gauri laughed despite herself. "Ah—your share, Mr. Chooha. Dig in. Hope you like it salty." The small creature nibbled once, twice—and then, inexplicably, it dropped. Still. Cold.
The sound of stunned silence landed in Gauri's ears like a slap. Her smile died. The spoon clattered from her hand. "Oh my God," she whispered, the words hollow in the tile chill. "No—no, no, no. What if… what if it's poisoned? Vihaan just ate it."
Panic shoved her out of the doorway. Her feet were a drumbeat toward the dining room.
Once the kitchen was empty, Nishigandha emerged from the shadows, her lips curling in a sinister smile.
A flashback ignited in her own mind: she had overheard Yug and Raani insisting Vihaan eat more. Later, she had slipped into the kitchen. Her eyes gleamed as she drew a blade across her wrist, letting her dark, cursed blood drip into the pot of kheer. The thick liquid blended seamlessly, leaving no trace.
The flashback faded.
Nishigandha gazed at the dead mouse, her smirk deepening. "It worked," she whispered, her voice venomous. "The poison is ready."
Her eyes darkened with unholy light. "For Sarvansh to emerge… Vihaan must die."
The words slithered into the air, heavy with foreboding, as she vanished back into the shadows.
Downstairs, Vihaan hesitated to take another bite of the kheer, his face twisting slightly at the unbearable saltiness. Yug and Raani noticed at once, mischief sparking in their eyes.
"Come on, Bhaiya, eat it! It's delicious!" Raani teased, barely holding back her laughter.
Yug leaned forward with a grin. "Yeah, don't be shy, Bhaiya! You can handle it!"
Urvashi and Shyom exchanged quiet smiles, while Dadi raised her hand with gentle authority. "Let him be, children. If he doesn't want to eat, don't force him."
But their playful coaxing continued, filling the hall with laughter.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Gauri had already left the kitchen in a rush, her anklets chiming as she flew down the staircase. Her breath came quick and shallow, panic pounding in her chest.
Halfway down, her eyes widened with sudden horror. A thought struck her like lightning. Vihaan… what if Thanedaar Sir eats the kheer?
Her steps faltered for a heartbeat, fear gripping her heart. But then she pushed herself harder, lifting her lehenga and racing faster towards the dining hall, desperate to stop him before it was too late.
Vihaan served himself another spoonful of the kheer and raised it towards his mouth. Just as the spoon neared his lips, Gauri burst into the dining hall, her eyes locked on that single bite.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she sprinted forward, but she realized in horror she wouldn't reach him in time. In a desperate split-second decision, she yanked off her slipper and hurled it across the room.
The slipper flew through the air and struck the spoon dead-on. The utensil clattered out of Vihaan's hand, sending the kheer splattering across the table and onto the floor.
The room froze into silence. Everyone stared at Gauri in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Vihaan looked at her, bewildered. "Gauri… what—?"
She rushed to him, grabbing his arms tightly, her voice trembling with urgency. "Tell me, did you already eat from this bowl? Answer me!"
Veena's face darkened with fury, her tone sharp and unforgiving. "What kind of shameless behavior is this, Gauri? Throwing slippers at the dining table? Have you lost all sense of respect? This is not a marketplace—it's our home!"
Gauri's voice cracked with desperation as she stammered out the truth. "The kheer… it has something in it. I think it's poisoned…."
The hall fell into stunned silence.
Then Veena let out a sudden piercing cry. "Ah! Look!"
All eyes turned to the spilled kheer. Tiny bugs wriggled and squirmed out of the creamy mess, crawling over the table in grotesque little patterns.
Gasps and cries erupted through the family, fear and disgust rippling across their faces. Chaos broke out in the hall, the sweet dish now transformed into a nightmare.