The courtyard lay bathed in an unnatural darkness, the night heavy as if it had weight. Shadows clung to the corners of the Kothari mansion, twisted and alive, while the marble beneath their feet gleamed with an otherworldly sheen. At the center, Kamini sat atop a throne of coiling serpents, her black saree flowing like liquid night, silver ornaments glinting in the sparse light, and her single long braid tipped with the carved head of a venomous serpent. Her golden eyes, serpentine and piercing, scanned the family with predatory amusement.
The Kotharis stood together, a tight knot of fear and defiance. Veena's hands gripped the edges of her saree, Sharda's gaze darted between Vihaan and the witch, Yug's fists clenched at his sides, and Charvi's lips trembled with worry. Gauri's hands were pressed together, as if bracing for the storm that was about to erupt.
Kamini's voice slithered through the night, amused and haughty. "I will tolerate your melodramatic speeches just a little longer," she said, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "I don't want to miss the delivery of your… pathetic little dialogues before I silence you all forever."
Vihaan stepped forward, the fire of his rage barely contained beneath his calm exterior. "You can't harm my family," he said steadily, his eyes locked on Kamini's golden gaze. "Not while I stand here Kamini."
Kamini tilted her head, a mocking chuckle escaping her lips. "Maa!" she snapped, voice sharp as a serpent's fang. "Call me your mother, Vihaan. Don't forget whose son you are."
Vihaan's chest rose and fell rapidly. His jaw tightened. "I haven't forgotten. My mother is Veena. My family is the Kotharis. You are nothing. You are no one to claim me, and if you try to harm the ones I cherish,I will kill you Kamini"
Her golden eyes glimmered with amusement. "Ah… such fire. That is the spirit I wish to see in you, my son. Not the weak, sentimental fool this family has made you."
Vihaan's hand moved to his wrist, tearing off the silver bracelet that bound his powers. The air around him crackled, heavy with raw energy, a storm of power coiling like lightning ready to strike. He raised his palm, intent on unleashing all his strength at once.
And nothing happened.
A flicker of disbelief crossed his face. The energy sputtered, dissipating into nothingness. The bracelet lay dull and powerless in the moonlight.
Kamini leaned back on her throne, her expression one of lazy satisfaction. "Do you see now?" she said softly, almost indulgently. "Your powers… your strength… they answer only when I allow them. Here, in my presence, your gifts obey my will alone."
A thousand snapping twigs sounded in the courtyard as if the night itself had shuddered. The family stepped back instinctively, fear pressing in like a physical weight. Yug's face went pale, Raani clutched Dadi's saree with trembling hands, and Shyom's stoic facade crumbled into visible worry.
From the shadows at the mansion's edge, Sharda moved silently, her fingers dipped in sacred ash, lips set in grim determination. No one noticed her step forward, slip backward, then disappear into the corridor with the precision of someone who had calculated the exact second to strike.
Vihaan's voice broke, laced with anguish and fury. "You will not silence us!" he shouted. "I will destroy you myself!"
Kamini's laughter rolled through the night, deep and malicious. "Try, my son. Rage is a poor blade against fate. Your arms are tied tonight, bound by my will alone."
The silver bracelet lay abandoned on the marble, powerless. Around it, the air pulsed with her dark magic, thick and suffocating. The Kotharis clustered closer, their hearts pounding, drawing what comfort they could from one another.
Yet in the small space between Vihaan and Kamini, a fragile defiance lingered—love, loyalty, and stubborn human courage that no magic could fully snuff out. It shivered, patient, waiting for the moment it could rise, waiting for the night to end with a force Kamini had not anticipated.
The courtyard trembled under the weight of Kamini's presence, her golden serpentine eyes glinting as she leaned back on her throne, braid curling ominously around the marble. A slow, cruel smile spread across her face.
"What will you do now, Vihaan?" she hissed, voice dripping with venom. "Your powers… do not work. Accept defeat."
Vihaan's jaw tightened, but before he could reply, a shadow moved with determined precision. Sharda emerged from the mansion doors, dragging a large, intricately carved crest behind her. She set it down before the family and lifted the lid with a flourish. Inside lay an array of weapons—each one gleaming with readiness.
"This will never happen," Sharda said firmly, scanning the family. "Vihaan's powers might be blocked, but his true strength… comes from all of us."
Hands went to their chosen arms as resolve settled over them:
Gauri gripped a dagger, fingers steady despite the fear fluttering in her chest.
Dadi held an urn of sacred Ganga Jal, shimmering under the moonlight.
Urvashi raised a pistol, eyes narrowing with determination.
Yug and Shyom hefted shotguns, their stance confident and ready.
Charvi brandished a sickle, the blade catching the last rays of the blood-red moon.
Vihaan's gaze swept over them, a smile breaking through the tension. "This… this is our real power," he said softly, voice resonant with pride. "Family, unity, love… and the courage to face anything together."
Yug scoffed lightly, shaking his head. "Snake witch will never understand. After all, I don't think they teach emotions in the witch world… and clearly, she skipped class."
Kamini's smirk widened, reclining on her throne with a chilling sense of amusement. "Cute," she said, her eyes glinting like molten gold. "You really think that will save you?"
The family's grip on their weapons tightened. Moonlight danced off steel and silver, illuminating faces set with unyielding determination. A storm was coming—but together, they were ready to face it.
To be continued…