The witch's eyes gleamed with malevolent intent as she cackled to herself. "If I can't find her, I'll kill everyone on this train. That way, I'll ensure the special girl meets her demise, too."
With a wave of her hand, she began to chant, dark energy swirling around her fingertips as she prepared to unleash a deadly spell upon the unsuspecting passengers. The wind howled across the speeding train, but within the compartments, silence reigned. No one knew of the terror lurking above.
"Sin Saa!" the witch shrieked.
A surge of dark magic shot from her palm, a pulsing wave of shadow and force that raced toward the train like a missile. Inside, Teju sat hunched by the window, her head resting on her hand, her expression weary. But something stirred-a soft shimmer on her right palm, a faint glow in the shape of a star.
At the last second, as the dark spell was about to make impact, a golden force field erupted around the train, absorbing the blast with a flash of blinding light. The magic rebounded, and the witch was forced to twist and dodge mid-air.
"What?!" she hissed, eyes narrowed. "A protection spell? From her? Already?"
The train continued to chug along the tracks, unaware of the silent battle just narrowly avoided.
---
At the Sharma residence, Maira's curiosity was finally bubbling over. "Nani, who is this special girl? The one who can shield the Kashyap sons from darkness?"
Kailashi's gaze was distant, ancient knowledge flickering in her eyes. She whispered the name as if invoking an old spell, "Bishwa."
The name hung in the air like incense smoke-delicate, mysterious, and heavy with purpose.
Maira leaned forward. "Who is she? How do I find her?"
Kailashi's voice was somber. "Fate will bring her to the Kashyaps when the time is right. Until then, you must stay close. Protect the boys. Bishwa's power will awaken only when the threat is strongest. Until then, she must not be exposed."
---
At the Kashyap mansion, in his room, Sahir stood before a mirror. His shirt hung open, revealing a strange, ominous mark across his back-a black sigil that pulsed faintly.
He stared at it, his brows furrowed. "What is this...?"
A tremor of unease rippled through him. "Mom can't see this. She'll panic."
Buttoning up, Sahir turned sharply and headed for the family library.
---
Back in the skies, the witch hovered, her face contorted with fury. "Bishwa is here. I know it. She's on this train."
She descended rapidly and extended her hand to touch the roof of the train.
A jolt of searing gold light exploded on contact. The protection spell shocked her body violently, and she screamed as she was blasted backward into the air, crashing into a cluster of trees far off the track. Her form vanished into the darkness.
The train rumbled on, its passengers oblivious, the star-marked girl unknowingly guarded by powers beyond her understanding.
---
At the Kashyap mansion library, Sahir entered expecting silence-but the room was a mess. Books lay scattered across the floor, shelves half-emptied. At the center of the chaos, Mihir sat cross-legged on a chair, eyes closed, using his telekinesis to pull books toward him.
Sahir froze. "Mihir! What have you done?! Why is everything scattered?"
Mihir opened one eye lazily, a grin tugging at his lips. "Professor sir, even you are here."
"Mihir, stop scattering my-our books. Clean this mess up."
"Our books, Sahir. You're right. They're ours."
Mihir stretched. "Anyways, we both know the reason we're here. So you do the job of finding the book. After all, you are the professor."
Sahir glared but said nothing. He walked to the shelf and pulled out a specific book, laying it flat on the table.
Mihir's eyes followed it. "Bring the book toward my side," he said casually.
"If you can't get up to come read the book with me, then you may sit down and shut up," Sahir replied, his patience thinning.
Mihir chuckled. "Typical prof."
He rose and moved to stand beside Sahir, peering over his shoulder.
Mihir gazed at the tome. "I can't believe you spend most of your hours reading books like this."
Sahir flipped it open. "Knowledge is not a waste of time."
But when he looked at the pages, his brow furrowed. "Wait..."
Mihir leaned in. "What now?"
"They're blank. Every page."
Mihir blinked. Then smirked. "Maybe the author ran out of ideas and published an empty book."
"Shut up," Sahir muttered.
"Nah," Mihir replied with a mischievous grin.
The air between them crackled with sibling tension, one steeped in rivalry but bound by something deeper-a growing sense that their world was shifting, and answers hid in places far stranger than even their darkest dreams.
Sahir's eyes narrowed as he instructed Mihir, "Get me a knife."
Mihir's response was laced with sarcasm. "Why, do you want to prepare a dish here? 'Cause, as I see it, it's a library, not a kitchen."
Sahir's patience wore thin. "My bad for asking something of you."
With a swift motion, Sahir raised his hand sideways, telekinetically summoning a knife to his palm. Mihir watched with a knowing look, seemingly unimpressed by Sahir's display of power.
Sahir slit his wrist, and his blood dripped onto the blank page. As the crimson droplets touched the paper, writings began to appear, filling the pages with mysterious script. Mihir's expression shifted, his interest piqued by the sudden revelation.
Sahir read out the words, his voice steady despite the gravity of the revelation.
"When a Daavansh is about to complete 25 years of age, his witch mother forms a bond with him using the solar eclipse, and then she marks her children with the mark of doom on their back, and that will be a tool for her to control them."
Mihir's eyes lit up with intrigue. "Interesting, very interesting."
Sahir's expression turned grave. "This isn't interesting, Mihir. That witch, Mohana, has marked us. Soon, she'll be able to control us."
Mihir's smirk returned. "It seems you didn't process what you read. The passage or whatever says that the witch marks her children who are Daavansh. But I'm not her son. Neither are you. So, why fear?"
Sahir's gaze locked onto Mihir, his voice low. "Because we have her blood."
He stepped forward, his tone somber. "She infused her blood into us as children, and since then, her blood has flowed in our veins. These powers are proof."
Sahir's resolve solidified in his next words. "We have to find a way to stop her from gaining control over us."
Mihir's response came with effortless arrogance. "No one can control me. I am Mihir Kashyap. And no one controls me."
With a smirk, Mihir turned and walked out of the room, his swagger and confidence radiating from every step.
Sahir's gaze lingered on the doorway through which Mihir had vanished, his thoughts tumbling into a vortex of unease.
"He doesn't know the kind of witch Mohana is," he murmured to himself, the whispered words laced with a foreboding certainty.
"From all I've read about her, she's a force to be reckoned with-a darkness that commands respect and inspires fear."
At the Kakkar estate, the air was thick with tension as the news of Teju's escape spread like wildfire. The Kakkar family and their allies, the Mohitepatil family, were abuzz with concern and anger. Teju, after all, was supposed to be the future bride of one of their own, and her daring escape was a blow to their pride and reputation.
In a dimly lit room, Ojas stood before Sarkar, her eyes cast downward in a mixture of fear and submission.
Sarkar's voice was stern, his words dripping with authority.
"Where is Tejaswini?"
Ojas hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't know."
Sarkar's face darkened with anger and humiliation.
"Lies! You expect me to believe you don't know where Tejaswini is? You're telling me you had no idea she was planning this? That you didn't know she was running off with... with whoever it is she's with?"
His voice was laced with accusation and disappointment.
Kasturi's voice dripped with disdain.
"This is what happens when you don't discipline your child properly. She's never been one for rules or respect. No wonder she ran off with some... some nobody."
Raj's approach was more calculated, his words laced with a subtle menace.
"Aunt, I'm sure you want what's best for Teju. Why not just tell us the truth? Who is she with? Maybe we can even help her see sense and bring her back home. But hiding the truth will only make things worse for her... and for you."
Sarkar's patience had worn thin.
"I'm asking you again, where is Teju? I want to know now. No more evasions, no more lies. Tell me the truth."
His voice was firm, his eyes boring into Ojas as if daring her to defy him.
Ojas remained silent, her eyes cast downward as Kasturi's words poured venom.
"You're a failure as a mother, Ojas. You never taught Teju the importance of duty, of family honor. And now look what's happened. She's run off with her lover, shaming our family in front of everyone. Have you no shame?"
Ojas's silence finally shattered.
"Enough!" she shouted, her voice cracking with emotion.
Her eyes blazed with a fierce maternal protectiveness.
"Don't you dare utter one word against my daughter. You've said enough. You have no right to question my parenting or Teju's choices. You're just angry because your precious Raj isn't good enough for her."
She turned her gaze on all of them, her voice now firm and unshaking.
"And listen-Teju didn't elope with any man! Everyone, hear me, Sarkar ji-our daughter only left to pursue her dreams, not for love!"
The room fell into a stunned silence.
Sarkar's expression turned apoplectic, while the Mohitepatil family's faces darkened with rage. Raj's eyes widened in indignation, and Kasturi's mouth hung open in stunned offense.