The night in the Kothari mansion's backyard was drenched in crimson light, the blood moon hanging low and ominous. The earth trembled faintly beneath their feet, serpents slithering through the shadows as the witch's dark laughter filled the air.
"Vihaan!" Gauri cried out, stumbling to where he lay sprawled on the ground. Her trembling hands brushed against his back—and froze.
Warm blood stained her palm.
Her breath caught. "No… no, Vihaan…" she whispered, voice breaking as tears streamed down her cheeks. She pressed her hand against his wound, desperate to stop the bleeding, her entire body shaking.
Veena collapsed beside them, her cries piercing the heavy silence. "My son! Vihaan, open your eyes!"
Urvashi and Sharda knelt next to Veena, trying to steady her, their own faces pale with shock. Sharda's voice trembled as she whispered prayers under her breath, while Urvashi wrapped an arm around Veena, tears glistening in her eyes.
Dadi raised her hands toward the moon, chanting mantras through choked sobs. "O Devi, protect our children!"
Nearby, Yug clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. Shyom held him back, his face grim but eyes full of fire. "Stay calm, Yug. God won't let the witch succeed," he muttered, glaring at Kamini.
Kamini, draped in her flowing black saree and glinting silver ornaments, smiled wickedly—her golden serpentine eyes gleaming like molten metal.
"Since my dear son loves interfering so much," she drawled, her voice smooth and venomous, "it's only fitting that I punish him first… for betraying his mother."
Her smile widened as she added coldly,
"And when I'm done with him, I'll punish every single person he loves."
"Don't you dare!" Gauri screamed, rising to her feet, but Kamini's power surged like a storm. A dark vortex swirled beneath Vihaan, lifting him helplessly into the air. Shadows coiled around him, snaking across his arms like chains of night.
"Stop this, Kamini!" Veena cried, trying to run forward, but Shyom and Yug held her back.
Kamini tilted her head, mockingly gentle. "Oh, Veena… still pretending to be his mother? Let me remind you who truly brought him into this world."
She flicked her wrist—and with a deafening crack, Vihaan was hurled down. The ground shook violently as his body hit the earth.
"Vihaan!"
The entire family screamed in unison.
Gauri crawled toward him, her palms scraping the rough earth, tears clouding her vision. She lifted his head into her lap, her trembling fingers brushing his blood-streaked cheek.
"Vihaan… please, don't do this to me," she whispered brokenly. "Please wake up."
Sharda's voice quivered as she stepped closer, clutching a pendant at her neck. "She's draining his strength… this isn't just magic—it's vengeance."
Kamini laughed—a cold, resonant sound that sent shivers down every spine. "So much love, so many tears. Do you all still not understand?" She raised her hands, her long braid swaying like a living serpent. "You cannot defy the queen of darkness!"
The blood moon gleamed brighter, its red glow flickering across her face as the shadows thickened around them.
Gauri bent over Vihaan, weeping uncontrollably as Veena and Urvashi knelt beside her, Dadi chanting louder through tears, and Yug and Shyom stood guard, ready though helpless.
Kamini's voice deepened, echoing like thunder.
"Let's see how long your love can protect you… before despair consumes you all."
And as her cruel laughter rolled across the wind, even the serpents hissed in response — heralding the night of reckoning.
Kamini's eyes blazed brighter than the blood moon above. Her smirk deepened as she looked at the huddled family around Vihaan.
"How touching," she said softly, her voice a venomous melody. "All of you crawling around him like insects trying to protect a flame."
She slowly raised her hand, her long silver bangles clinking like chains.
"Let me help you… move aside."
With a sudden flick of her fingers, a dark shockwave exploded from her palm.
"Aghhh!"
The force ripped through the backyard like a storm. Gauri, Veena, Urvashi, Sharda, Yug, and Shyom were thrown back violently — their bodies flung across the grass and soil. The earth cracked beneath the impact as their cries echoed in the air.
"Gauri!" Veena screamed as she hit the ground, her voice strained. Shyom barely caught Urvashi before she crashed into a tree, both of them tumbling to the ground. Sharda's sacred beads scattered from her hand, glowing faintly before dimming out.
Kamini lowered her hand, her dark aura swirling around her like a living shadow. The air grew colder; even the torches flickered and died.
Only Vihaan remained before her — unconscious, wounded, and utterly still.
She walked closer, the silver ornaments around her ankles jingling with each step.
"Look at you, my son," she whispered, her tone dripping with mock affection. "So weak, so… human."
Gauri pushed herself up from the ground, her body aching but her eyes burning with rage and fear. "Don't… you… dare touch him!" she screamed, stumbling forward.
Kamini turned slightly, her golden serpentine eyes glinting in amusement. "You never learn, do you, Gauri?" she murmured. "Every time you stand against me, it ends in pain."
"Then so be it!" Gauri shouted, struggling to her feet.
Behind her, Veena called out desperately, "Gauri, stop! You can't face her alone!"
Sharda tried to rise too, clutching her prayer pendant, but Kamini's dark energy flared again, pinning them all in place. Their limbs grew heavy, their voices silenced by invisible chains.
Kamini smiled wider, lifting her hand once more. "Now… let's finish what should have ended long ago."
The serpentine mark on her forehead gleamed, and the ground beneath Vihaan began to tremble — dark roots emerging, curling around his body like tendrils of night.
"Vihaan!" Gauri cried, her scream echoing across the wind as Kamini's laughter thundered through the darkness.