In the washroom, Vihaan turned on the shower, warm water cascading down. He guided Gauri under the stream, gently washing the colors from her face. Every so often, he blew soft air into her eyes, helping soothe the sting.
"Th-thanks… my eyes… feel bettah," Gauri slurred, her words thick and playful from the bhaang. She leaned closer, swaying slightly. "S-sometimes… you're really… nice."
Vihaan blinked, tilting his head with a faint smirk. "Sometimes? Am I… not nice?"
Gauri shook her head slowly, a drunken giggle escaping her lips. "If you were nice… you wouldn't have… forced me into this marriage… by blackmailin' me."
Vihaan's voice softened, unsteady, his emotions spilling out more easily than usual. "I… I had to… I had no choice…"
"Why?" Gauri's words tumbled out, curiosity and emotion mixing with the bhaang. "You… you call me cheap… a dancer who'd do anything for money… but… you still married me. Why… Mr. VK?"
Vihaan leaned closer, fumbling slightly, his finger gently pressing against her lips. "Shhhh… it's a secret."
"Why?" she asked, tilting her head, her drunken haze making her bolder.
"Because… if I tell you… you'll leave me… leave this house…" he murmured, his eyes soft and vulnerable.
Gauri blinked, surprised. "Don't… don't you want me to leave?"
Vihaan shook his head, a childlike innocence in his expression. "No…"
The bhaang made their senses tingle—warm water, flushed faces, and the closeness between them made everything else disappear. Their laughter, sighs, and soft whispers blended together, creating a private world just for them.
Meanwhile, Yug and Charvi made their way toward Vihaan's room. As they approached, they noticed the door was locked. Yug stepped forward, carefully nudging it open just a crack. For a fleeting moment, his eyes caught something—Urvashi, perched like a gecko near the window, her eyes void and still. But he quickly looked away, closing the door as if nothing had happened.
Charvi frowned, sensing something was off. "No, we have to check. Something feels… strange."
Yug tried to stop her gently. "Charvi… maybe we shouldn't—"
Ignoring him, Charvi pushed the door open. She stepped inside, her gaze sweeping the room—but saw nothing unusual. Urvashi had vanished without a trace.
Charvi blinked, puzzled. "It's… empty," she whispered.
Yug merely nodded, keeping the secret to himself, though the readers knew exactly what had been there moments ago.
Yug and Charvi quietly left Vihaan's room. As they walked down the hallway, Yug's thoughts raced. Mom… she's been possessed by the witch. I have to inform the family before something happens. Charvi, unaware of his internal alarm, followed closely, still curious about the strange energy in the room.
Meanwhile, in the washroom, Vihaan had just finished rinsing the colors from Gauri's eyes. Gauri, her eyelids heavy from the bhaang, rested against the tiles, her voice soft and sincere.
"Vihaan… I promise I won't leave you," she murmured. "But… you have to share your secret with me."
Vihaan looked into her eyes, his own gaze serious. "Are you… sure you won't leave me?"
Gauri nodded firmly. "I'm sure."
He took a deep breath, lowering his voice to a whisper. "This family… it's haunted by a witch because of me. And… I'm not just any man. I'm a witch's son."
Gauri blinked, then let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Though I don't agree with your mother… I mean, mother-in-law… it isn't right to call her a witch," she teased gently.
Vihaan's lips curved into a faint, wry smile. "No. Truly… I am a witch's son. A wizard… a Sarvansh."
Gauri's eyes sparkled with amusement despite the seriousness of his confession. "Then… I guess that makes me a sorceress," she said, giggling.
Vihaan chuckled along, the sound warm and rare, as the tension of the night slowly melted away, leaving them in the strange, intoxicating intimacy of bhaang, colors, and confessions.
Gauri leaned back against the tiles, her hair damp and clinging to her face. She smirked at Vihaan. "You've lost it… despite being so damn hot."
Vihaan raised an eyebrow, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "Oh? You… find me hot?"
Gauri nodded, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Vihaan's expression softened, a rare vulnerability in his tone. "You… aren't that bad yourself. Every time I see you… my heart skips a beat for some reason I don't understand."
Gauri's cheeks flushed a soft pink, her lips parting in surprise. The bhaang made her feel bold, uninhibited. She whispered, "Really…?"
Vihaan leaned closer, their faces just inches apart. "Really," he said, his voice low, steady, and sincere.
The room felt smaller, warmer, and charged with an unspoken tension, the playful laughter of the Holi celebration outside fading into the background as their eyes locked, hearts silently acknowledging what neither dared speak aloud.
Gauri laughed softly, the bhaang making her bold. "I didn't know I was this… beautiful. But you must have met more beautiful women in your life, right?"
Vihaan shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Mom, Aunt, Dadi, and Raani… they were the only women in my life before you."
His fingers brushed lightly against her lips, and he murmured, almost to himself, "Your lips… they're soft."
Gauri's cheeks warmed further, her gaze lowering. Vihaan's voice softened, curious yet gentle. "Did you… ever have a boyfriend?"
Gauri shook her head. "Boyfriend? No… I was too busy trying to earn money for Charvi. I never believed in love… I… I never got love from my mom either."
Vihaan studied her closely, a mix of fascination and something deeper in his eyes. "I see… That explains a lot."
The shower's gentle spray framed the moment, intimate yet innocent, as their conversation lingered in the air like unspoken promises and fragile confessions.