"If even a divine weapon was useless against that demon, how did you manage to defeat him?" Kirti asked Vishakha curiously.
Vishakha smiled faintly.
"That demon had received a boon. As long as he remained inside his own forest, no one could kill him."
Kirti raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? He was invincible inside his own territory?"
"More or less," Vishakha replied. "I remembered that detail in the middle of the battle. After that, Dashaanan and I came up with a plan."
She paused briefly, recalling those days.
"We continued fighting him while gradually drawing him toward the edge of the forest. It wasn't easy. He was powerful, and moving him out of his territory without making him suspicious was a challenge in itself."
Kirti listened attentively.
"But eventually, we managed to lure him beyond the forest's boundary. The moment he stepped outside, the protection granted by his boon no longer applied. After that, defeating him became much easier."
Vishakha's expression softened as she remembered what followed.
"That battle changed our relationship. We had fought side by side, trusted each other with our lives, and learned to understand one another. Slowly, that trust grew into something deeper."
She smiled gently.
"And before we even realized it, Dashaanan and I had fallen in love."
"But the world didn't approve of our relationship," Vishakha continued. "An apsara and a rakshasa… there was no place for a relationship like ours in the eyes of the heavens."
She lowered her gaze for a moment.
"When I failed to return to Apsaralok, my mother sent warriors to search for me. I didn't want Dashaanan to get into a confrontation with them, so one night, I left without telling him."
Kirti frowned. "You just left him without saying anything?"
Vishakha nodded.
"But the seed of love that had taken root in my heart had also taken root in his. He wasn't willing to let me go so easily. He overcame every obstacle in his path and reached Apsaralok within a year."
She paused.
"But by then, I was about to get married."
Kirti stared at her in disbelief.
"Wait! You actually agreed to marry someone else?"
Vishakha gave a small, bitter smile.
"My love for Dashaanan seemed insignificant in front of my mother's tears."
Kirti slowly nodded. She could understand how difficult that decision must have been.
But then Vishakha's expression changed.
"However, I had underestimated Dashaanan's demonic nature."
Kirti immediately turned toward her.
"What did he do?"
Vishakha smiled faintly and looked ahead.
Kirti followed her gaze.
The darkness around them began to shift, and another memory unfolded before their eyes.
---
### The Wedding
A grand wedding ceremony was underway.
Vishakha, dressed in beautiful bridal attire, stood beside a Deva who was supposed to become her husband. The sacred wedding rituals were being performed, and the couple took the seven rounds around the holy fire.
Afterward, vermilion was applied to Vishakha's hair parting, and the guests came forward to bless the newlyweds.
Once the ceremonies were complete, the couple retired to their chamber.
Kirti watched the scene with growing curiosity.
Then she glanced at Vishakha.
"Wait a minute. Are we actually going to watch your wedding night?"
Vishakha gave her an unimpressed look.
With a wave of her hand, she changed the scene.
The memory jumped forward to the following morning.
Inside the bridal chamber, the past Vishakha slowly opened her eyes.
Still half-asleep, she turned toward the person lying beside her.
The moment she saw his face, her eyes flew open.
She shot upright.
"YOU?!"
Her scream woke Dashaanan, who had been lying beside her.
He stretched lazily before looking at her.
"What happened?"
Vishakha stared at him with fury in her eyes.
"What are YOU doing here?! Where is my husband?!"
Dashaanan looked at her as though she'd asked the most ridiculous question imaginable.
"Well, I'm your husband now. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to be here?"
Vishakha's eyes widened.
Her face turned red with anger.
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?!"
Dashaanan sat up.
"Oh, come on. We got married. I abducted the Deva you were supposed to marry, took his appearance, and married you in his place."
For a moment, Vishakha simply stared at him.
Then the realization struck.
**He had deceived her.**
"WHAT?!"
She scrambled away from him, her expression filled with disgust.
"How dare you?! People were right! A rakshasa can never change his nature! You demons deserve to rot in the depths of hell!"
Dashaanan's expression faltered.
"What are you talking about? You love me, don't you?"
"Do you think this is a joke?!"
Before he could respond, the chamber doors swung open.
Both of them turned.
Standing outside were Vishakha's mother—the Queen of Apsaralok—and the very Deva Vishakha had been supposed to marry.
The Queen's face was twisted with fury.
"Vishakha! What kind of disgraceful behavior is this?!"
Vishakha froze.
The moment she heard her mother's voice, all the anger she'd been directing at Dashaanan mixed with fear. Her body trembled as she struggled to find words.
Dashaanan, however, stood up and took her hand.
He walked toward the Queen and declared,
"Vishakha is my wife."
Vishakha immediately glared at him.
"Don't you dare! A marriage obtained through deception isn't a legitimate marriage! You tricked everyone. You didn't marry me—you committed a fraud!"
The Queen's expression grew even colder.
"Enough! Both of you! Take this disgraceful drama somewhere else!"
She looked at Vishakha as though she could no longer recognize her own daughter.
"You cannot possibly be my daughter. You've dragged our reputation through the mud across the entire universe!"
Vishakha's lips trembled.
"Mother, please—"
"Silence!"
The Queen raised her hand.
"I curse you, Vishakha! If you wish to live among demons so badly, then from this moment onward, you shall live among them. You will be born into a demon clan in the Demon Realm!"
The moment the curse was pronounced, a strange force enveloped Vishakha.
Her form began to break apart, and her existence was torn away from that world.
Kirti watched in stunned silence as the memory faded.
She turned toward the present Vishakha.
"Your own mother cursed you?"
Vishakha nodded.
"She believed I'd done everything deliberately. If I'd had even the slightest idea that Dashaanan would go that far, I would have killed him with my own hands before allowing him to do something like that."
Kirti looked at her thoughtfully.
"But you loved him, didn't you?"
Vishakha's smile disappeared.
"Love can never be greater than one's actions and responsibilities. The moment he decided to deceive me into marrying him, he lost my love."
She paused before continuing.
"After I was cursed, I had no idea what happened to Dashaanan."
---
### The Princess of the Demon Realm
"Several years later, I was reborn in the Demon Realm as a princess."
The scene around them changed once again.
"However, I remembered nothing about my previous life. I was the eldest daughter of my family, the sole heir to the throne, and one of the most powerful demons of that era."
Vishakha watched the memory unfold.
"I was about to inherit the throne when my younger sister, Prabhavati, fell in love with a prince."
Her expression turned serious.
"Our father disapproved of their relationship."
Kirti leaned forward.
"Then what happened?"
"They fought. The prince killed my father, married my younger sister, and took her away to his city—Dwarka."
Kirti's eyes widened.
"Dwarka? You mean the kingdom of Lord Krishna?"
Vishakha turned toward her with a curious smile.
"Wow. This guy was still famous?"
Kirti gave her a look.
"Still? He's Lord Krishna!"
Vishakha chuckled before continuing.
"Yes, that's right. The prince was none other than Pradyumna, Krishna's son."
She took a breath.
"At that time, I was performing sadhana to Goddess Kali to acquire greater powers. By the time I completed my meditation and returned home, I learned about the war and my father's death."
Her expression darkened.
"I was furious. I immediately set out for Dwarka with the intention of killing Pradyumna."
The memory shifted to a magnificent city.
"When I arrived, I fought Krishna's sons and defeated them one after another. But then a man named Krishna appeared."
Vishakha's voice became quieter.
"He was the ruler of Dwarka. And he possessed one of the most powerful weapons in existence—the Sudarshan Chakra."
Kirti listened intently.
"He attacked me with it. My physical body was destroyed, but just before the weapon struck, I divided my soul into two parts."
Vishakha raised one hand, indicating her heart.
"I placed one half of my soul inside my heart. Before the Sudarshan Chakra could destroy me, I separated that heart from my body."
Kirti's expression grew more serious.
"My heart drifted into the ocean," Vishakha continued. "Eventually, the currents carried it to Lanka. From there, I began planning my resurrection."
She looked directly at Kirti.
"I sealed myself inside a container and waited for the other half of my soul to reincarnate."
Vishakha paused.
"And after many years, it finally happened."
She turned toward Kirti.
"You were born."
Kirti pointed at herself.
"Me?"
Vishakha smiled.
"Yeah. You. We're two halves of the same being. Now, all we need to do is reunite."
Kirti stared at her skeptically.
"How am I supposed to believe any of this? And besides, merging my soul with someone else's sounds really weird. I don't want to lose myself!"
The smile on Vishakha's face vanished.
For a brief moment, something cold flickered in her eyes.
But she quickly regained control of her expression.
"How about a compromise?" she suggested. "You lend me your body from time to time, and in return, I'll teach you magic, energy manipulation, and cultivation techniques."
She smiled again.
"Sounds like a pretty good deal, doesn't it?"
Kirti crossed her arms.
"Five minutes a day."
"One hour a day," Vishakha countered immediately.
"Fifteen minutes. Final offer."
"Half an hour a day, or we both stay trapped in this darkness forever."
Kirti stared at her.
Then she let out a long sigh.
"It's really hard to negotiate with you."
She reluctantly held out her hand.
"Fine. Half an hour. Not a minute more."
Vishakha's smile returned.
"Deal."
They shook hands.
But behind Vishakha's pleasant smile, something malicious remained hidden—something Kirti couldn't see.
Aarav and Yash were still sitting inside the laboratory, going through the scientist's diary.
Just as they were discussing the information they'd uncovered, both their phones started ringing almost simultaneously.
They exchanged a glance before answering their respective calls.
A few minutes later, they hung up.
"Kirti is conscious again," Aarav announced.
Yash let out a breath of relief. "That's good news. The CID is taking her statement right now."
He took out his phone again and dialed a number.
"I'll inform the RAI department about this location and the case."
Aarav simply nodded.
There wasn't much else to say. With Kirti finally awake, at least one of his immediate worries had been resolved.
A little while later, the two of them arrived at the hospital.
Meanwhile, a team from RAI had reached the ruined mansion and begun examining the hidden laboratory. They were documenting the evidence, inspecting the equipment, and investigating everything connected to the scientist's experiments.
Aarav, however, headed straight for Kirti's room.
By the time he arrived, the CID officers had finished questioning her.
He pushed open the door and entered.
Shakshi was sitting on a chair beside the bed, keeping a close eye on her daughter.
Aarav walked in with a casual expression.
"What is this, Kirti? Planning to make up for an entire year's worth of sleep today?"
Kirti looked at him and smiled.
"And there he goes again with his free-of-charge nonsense."
Aarav made an offended face.
"I was just worried about you. But I suppose kindness is no longer appreciated in this world."
He let out an exaggerated sigh, putting on such a dramatic expression that Kirti almost laughed.
Then his expression became serious.
"Anyway, what did you tell the CID?"
"Exactly what happened," Kirti replied. "They're probably thinking I've been hallucinating or something."
She fell silent for a moment, then suddenly looked around.
"Wait… where's Dad? Doesn't he know I've been admitted to the hospital?"
Shakshi shook her head.
"I don't know. I've been trying to call him for a while now, but neither Rahul nor SK is answering."
She turned toward Aarav.
"Do you know where they are?"
Aarav hesitated.
For a moment, he considered what he should tell her. He could make up another excuse, but that would only create more problems later.
Finally, he decided to tell her the truth.
"They went to Delhi for some work."
Shakshi frowned in confusion.
"For what work? Aren't they government clerks? Do government clerks have to travel to other states for official assignments too?"
Aarav scratched his head.
"Actually, I think they'll be able to explain why they went to Delhi once they return."
Shakshi wasn't entirely satisfied with that answer.
"Fine. But why aren't their phones working? Don't they have network coverage there?"
Aarav paused.
"Actually… they had an accident on the way. They're currently hospitalized, which is why they aren't answering."
Shakshi stared at him.
For a few seconds, she said nothing.
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"How do you know that?"
Aarav immediately looked away.
"I saw it on the news."
Shakshi's expression changed.
"Rahul's accident is on the news?"
Aarav nodded and took out his phone, showing her the news report about the explosion.
The moment Shakshi saw the headline, her eyes widened.
Her breathing seemed to catch in her throat.
"D-Don't tell me…"
She looked at Aarav, struggling to process what she was seeing.
"Don't tell me that this so-called accident was actually a bomb blast!"
Aarav lowered his gaze and nodded.
Shakshi immediately began reading the report in detail. But as she went through the article, confusion appeared on her face.
"Wait a minute. Rahul's name isn't mentioned anywhere here. It only says that some special forces personnel were injured."
"Dad was with the special forces," Aarav explained. "But don't worry. He's out of danger and doing fine."
Shakshi slowly raised her eyes toward him.
"Aarav…"
Her voice had become unusually serious.
"Are you hiding something from me?"
Aarav met her gaze for a moment.
Then he sighed.
"It would be better if Dad explained the rest himself."
With that, he turned around and walked out of the room.
Shakshi and Kirti exchanged a look.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Kirti picked up the phone and looked through the news report herself.
"That's weird. The news doesn't mention anything about Dad."
She frowned.
"That duffer is definitely hiding something from us."
Shakshi could only nod.
And judging by the look on her face, she wasn't planning to let the matter go so easily.
---
### RAI Headquarters — A Secret Organization
Meanwhile, at the RAI headquarters, Yash sat across from his father, SP Satyamurti, the director of the department.
The report about the entire incident lay open before them.
SP Satyamurti finished reading the final page and slowly put the document down.
He looked at his son.
"This looks less like a kidnapping report and more like the plot of a fantasy movie."
Yash sighed.
"Believe me, sir. I witnessed everything with my own eyes."
SP Satyamurti leaned back in his chair.
"If you'd submitted this report to your department's regular chain of command, your boss might have declared you insane. Depending on how seriously they took it, you could even have been suspended and sent for a psychiatric evaluation."
Yash gave him a helpless look.
"That's reassuring, sir."
"However, you're fortunate that this report was submitted under RAW's supervision."
His father tapped the document.
"Venkatesh has already submitted reports involving similar mysterious incidents. RAW has encountered cases like these before, and the government has separate arrangements for investigating and handling them."
Yash frowned.
"Separate arrangements?"
SP Satyamurti turned toward his desktop and rotated the monitor so Yash could see it.
A logo appeared on the screen.
It depicted a sword piercing the head of a serpent. Around the emblem, a Sanskrit motto was written in Devanagari script:
**तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय**
*Lead me from darkness to light.*
Yash stared at the logo.
"What exactly are you trying to tell me?"
His father looked him directly in the eyes.
"I'm introducing you to the Indian Paranormal Investigation department."
Yash blinked.
"Wait. You mean there's an actual secret government organization dedicated to investigating paranormal cases?"
He looked at the screen again, then back at his father.
"Sir, are you serious? This sounds unbelievable."
SP Satyamurti gave him a stern look.
"Do I look like I'm in the mood for jokes?"
Yash immediately straightened in his chair.
"Sorry, sir. It's just… difficult to believe."
"Believe it or not, this organization exists. And the case you're currently handling will now be transferred to the IPI department."
Yash's expression changed.
"But, sir, won't that bring Aarav and Kirti into the spotlight?"
SP Satyamurti remained silent for a moment before answering.
"Yash, we don't know what kind of powers those two possess. More importantly, we don't know how much control they have over those powers."
He picked up the report again.
"According to your own statement, Kirti killed the scientist."
"Her body was possessed by someone else," Yash immediately clarified.
"Yes. And we don't know whether that entity can possess her again, or whether Kirti can control it if it happens."
SP Satyamurti folded his hands on the desk.
"This isn't an ordinary criminal investigation anymore. There are unknown forces involved, and we don't have the expertise to deal with them. That's precisely why the matter should be handled by specialists."
Yash wanted to argue.
He didn't like the idea of handing the case over to an unfamiliar organization, especially when Aarav and Kirti were involved.
But after considering his father's reasoning, he reluctantly nodded.
"Understood, sir."
SP Satyamurti nodded in return and gestured toward the door.
"You may leave."
Yash stood up, gave a brief nod, and walked out of the office.
His father's words continued to echo in his mind.
*An entire government organization dedicated to paranormal investigations…*
*Just what kind of world have I gotten myself involved in?*
---
### The Next Morning, Delhi
By the following morning, Venkatesh finally opened his eyes.
For a few seconds, he couldn't understand where he was.
His head felt heavy, and even the slightest movement made him uncomfortable.
He blinked several times, trying to bring his surroundings into focus.
A hospital room.
White walls.
The faint beeping of medical equipment.
He slowly raised his hand, only to notice the bandages wrapped around his head and hands. An IV line was attached to his wrist, with a glucose bottle hanging beside the bed.
Venkatesh stared at it for a moment.
Then he tried to sit up.
A wave of dizziness forced him to stop.
He leaned back against the pillow and closed his eyes briefly, trying to recall what had happened.
The explosion.
Jafrabad.
Wasim's message.
His team.
Venkatesh's eyes suddenly opened.
"SK…"
He turned his head and looked around the room.
"Where the hell am I?"