Mihir's expression shifted from amused to deadly serious as he stared at Dev's pale, stunned face on the video call.
"You got lucky, Dev," Mihir said coldly, his voice like ice under pressure. "I'm giving you one chance. Just one. Try crossing me again, and I won't just torch a car-I'll set fire to everything you care about. Your peace, your pride, your entire world."
His crimson eyes gleamed with something more than threat-power. A storm coiled behind his gaze.
"Don't test me," Mihir warned, his voice lowering into something more primal. "I can send you to hell... with a thought. And I won't think twice."
Before Dev could respond, Mihir cut the call.
Dev was left staring at the blank screen, breath shallow, the chill of those words sinking into his bones.
---
At the Kashyap Mansion, Sapna paced near the main door, her eyes flitting anxiously between the gate and the sky, which had only just begun to brighten again after the eclipse. Her hands trembled slightly, clenched tightly at her sides.
Uma, her sister-in-law, stepped forward with a soft voice. "Sapna, don't panic. Sahir and Mihir will be home soon. It's just a solar eclipse, nothing more."
But Moti Baa wasn't so sure. Her expression was stern, as if reading the winds of fate. "Not just an eclipse, Uma. The air carries something darker. We need prayers now, more than ever."
Unable to stand idle, Sapna walked quietly into the prayer room. The diya sat at the altar, its flame dancing. With trembling hands, she lifted it into her palms and knelt, eyes closed, her voice barely a whisper.
"Please, Bhagwan... bring my boys home safe. Protect them. I failed to see them growing apart-don't let me lose them entirely."
As the flame flickered in her hands, Uma and Moti Baa appeared at the doorway. Their eyes widened.
"Sapna!" Uma rushed forward. "Don't hold the lamp like that! Your hands will burn!"
But Sapna's eyes remained shut, lips moving in prayer. "I will not set this lamp down until I see them both home and safe."
Before anyone could protest further, Akhil's voice echoed from the hallway. "Bhabhi! I just saw Sahir's car pull up."
Sapna's eyes flew open. She gently placed the lamp on the altar, rose, and darted out of the prayer room.
Seconds later, the door opened. Sahir stepped inside, his bag slung across his shoulder, a hint of exhaustion in his posture-but he was safe.
Sapna's arms flew around him before he could say a word.
"Are you alright, beta?" she asked, inspecting his face.
"I'm fine, Ma," Sahir replied softly, offering a reassuring smile. "Just a long day. No damage done."
Moti Baa's eyes narrowed. "Where's Mihir?"
Sahir frowned. "He didn't come with me. I assumed he was already home."
Sapna's heart sank again.
Uma moved to the kitchen. "Let me get you some water, Sahir," she said quickly, needing the distraction.
---
Meanwhile, far from the city, Teju boarded the train with trembling hands, her heart pounding in rhythm with the train's slow chug. She found an empty window seat and collapsed into it, her breaths shallow, the stolen moment of freedom almost too fragile to believe.
She clutched her satchel tightly-inside were a few hundred rupees, two textbooks, and a notebook filled with dreams.
Outside the window, the sun slowly returned to the sky, the tail end of the eclipse casting strange hues across the land. The countryside blurred past in golden smears as the train gained speed.
Teju exhaled slowly, letting her forehead rest against the glass. "I'm finally out," she whispered to herself. The tension in her shoulders eased ever so slightly.
But she knew the danger wasn't truly behind her yet.
---
Back in Delhi, at the Sharma residence, Kailashi and Maira stood together in the courtyard, eyes turned skyward. The eclipse had ended-but the world felt no lighter.
"The darkness might be clearing," Kailashi murmured, her voice deep with unease. "But the real darkness... that's only just begun."
Maira turned toward her Nani, face taut with dread. "Then we still have time to stop it."
Kailashi's expression was grave. "Barely."
She turned to Maira, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Mohana is awake. If she finds the boys... if she corrupts them into Purn Daavanshas, they'll become her final sacrifice."
Maira swallowed hard.
Kailashi's words were like fire: "On the Red Moon night, if she devours their souls, Mohana will become Maha Ekaayan Daayan. Not even the gods will be able to stop her then."
Maira's jaw clenched. "Then I'll stop her before that happens."
"It won't be easy," Kailashi warned. "You'll need to get close to them. Watch over them from within. They won't know who you are. You must become one of them."
"I will," Maira said, voice steel. "My parents were Reevavanshis. They died trying to stop this evil. I won't let their sacrifice go in vain."
She stepped forward, the wind catching her dupatta, her silhouette sharp in the moonlight. "I'll infiltrate the Kashyap family. Protect Sahir and Mihir. And if Mohana tries to come near them... I'll end her myself."
Kailashi's eyes, sharp and ancient, bore into Maira's with a haunting urgency. "You won't be able to do it alone, Maira. You need to find her."
Maira tensed, her voice low. "Find who, Nani?"
"She's the only one who can shield the Kashyap boys from Mohana and her witch clan. The one born under the dying star."
Maira's brow furrowed. "I don't understand... Who is she?"
"You do," Kailashi replied with quiet certainty. "You've crossed paths with her before. Find her-and protect her. Because only together can you stop what's coming."
Maira's heart pounded. Outside, the sky remained cloaked in a half-light, the eclipse just past but the unease still lingering. She nodded slowly, already committing to the task. "Then I'll find her. Whatever it takes."
---
The train hurtled through the open landscape, a metallic snake slicing through twilight. Inside, Teju sat alone by the window, her bag tucked beneath the seat. Her mind wandered to memories she had tried so hard to forget-her father's voice, stern and unrelenting, echoing in her thoughts.
"You think you can just walk away from tradition? From your duty? You were meant to marry and settle down-not chase silly ambitions."
Teju flinched as if the voice had manifested beside her. But then, she straightened her spine, shaking her head. "No more," she whispered to herself. "I get to choose."
The train's whistle pierced the silence as it approached a narrow bridge. Teju turned her gaze to the sky. The eclipse had waned, but the eerie, dusky glow remained-a reminder that something unnatural still hovered.
Unseen by those below, atop the train, a witch stood tall.
Her long, raven hair danced wildly in the wind as her eyes scanned the cars beneath her feet. Her presence sent a strange shimmer through the air. A low growl rumbled in her throat.
"Mohana warned me," she muttered, her voice almost lost in the wind. "A girl with a mark. A special girl. She must die."
The witch's gaze narrowed. "She's on this train. Mohana was certain."
She crept forward, moving with feline grace, her sharp senses alert. She didn't know what the girl looked like. Only that she was here-and her death would help ensure Mohana's rise.
---
Back at the Kashyap mansion, warmth glowed under chandeliers, but tension lingered like a bitter perfume.
Sahir sat beside Sapna, gently offering her a glass of water. Her trembling hands accepted it, her eyes never leaving his face.
"Sahir, beta..." she began, her voice lined with dread. "Did you feel anything strange today? The eclipse-it wasn't just a celestial event. I felt something shift."
Sahir offered a soft smile. "I'm fine, Mom. Really. Nothing happened. Don't let your fears get the better of you."
She exhaled in relief, drawing him into a protective embrace. Her heart finally eased-but someone else had been watching.
Mihir stood in the hallway, unnoticed, unseen. The hug between mother and son burned in his chest. His mother's tenderness had always seemed reserved for Sahir.
His expression darkened-not with hatred, but with ache. Always the forgotten one. The second thought.
Moti Baa noticed him first. Her eyes softened as she approached. "Mihir, beta, are you alright?"
He forced a smile. "I'm fine, Moti Baa."
But Sapna had already turned.
"Mihir?" she called, walking to him. Her hand reached out, brushing his sleeve.
Mihir stiffened. "You don't have to pretend, Mom. I know who you care about. You don't have to act for me."
Her face fell. "Mihir, it's not like that."
Sahir stepped forward, his tone firm. "Don't talk to Mom that way."
Mihir's eyes glinted. "Don't raise your voice, big brother."
Sahir's expression held steady. "I will if you forget how to respect her."
Mihir gave a hollow laugh. "Respect is earned, Sahir. Not handed out like sweets at a temple."
Sapna stepped between them. "Please, both of you-"
"Spare me the drama," Mihir muttered, and turned on his heel. "I'm tired."
He left behind silence, thick and sharp.
Sapna's eyes welled up. Sahir quickly moved to her side. "Mom... don't cry. He doesn't mean it."
She shook her head, wiping her tears with trembling fingers. "I just wish... he didn't carry so much pain."
---
Back on the train, the witch growled in frustration.
"How will I know her?" she hissed. "She could be anyone. A hundred faces. A hundred palms."
Unbeknownst to her, the answer lay far away, whispered in the shadows of another house.
At the Sharma residence, Kailashi drew closer to Maira, her voice no louder than the wind.
"You'll know her by the mark, Maira. A star-shaped birthmark on her palm. That is the sign."
Maira inhaled sharply.
"She's the one?"
Kailashi nodded. "The girl born under the eclipse. The only one who can protect the Kashyap boys from Mohana's grip. Find her before the witch does."
Outside, the last trace of eclipse light faded, but something far darker had begun to stir.