Sahir's Cabin - Hansraj College
Sahir stepped into his cabin, adjusting the strap of his bag, when he noticed someone already seated in his chair-her back to him, her posture confidently casual.
He paused, puzzled. "Excuse me, this cabin is assigned-"
The chair turned.
Sahir blinked in surprise. "Ruby? You? What are you doing here?"
The young woman stood up, her polished heels clicking softly against the floor. Dressed in an elegant ivory blouse tucked into a slate-grey pencil skirt, her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, not a braid in sight.
She gave him a cheeky smile and extended a lanyard with a faculty ID card attached.
"Meet your new co-worker-Professor Ruby Rathore."
Sahir took the card and read it briefly before looking back at her. "Wow. Congratulations! I didn't know you were even applying here."
Ruby shrugged with a grin. "Didn't want to jinx it. But turns out, East Valley needed someone to teach Medical Ethics and Psychology. So... here I am."
He leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "I thought you were into fashion and design?"
"I was," she replied smoothly. "But that world isn't for me anymore. I just wanted a change. Something more grounded. Something that lets me stay... closer to people who matter."
Sahir chuckled. "You're still the same. Crazy since school days."
Ruby stepped closer, lowering her voice just a touch. "And you still act like you don't know I've always had a crush on you."
Sahir let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. "Ruby Rathore, the flirt. Some things really never change."
She winked. "Good. Because I'm not planning to."
He grinned back, not reading too much into her words. "Alright, Professor, welcome to East Valley. Try not to scandalize the students."
"Oh, I'm here strictly for academic purposes," she said with a mock-innocent smile, then turned and sauntered out, heels clicking confidently.
Sahir shook his head in amusement once she was gone.
"Ruby Rathore... this should be interesting."
As Ruby stepped out of Sahir's cabin, her heels clicking softly against the tiled floor, she paused just outside the door. The playful smile that had danced on her lips moments ago faded, replaced by a chilling stillness.
Her eyes glowed an eerie golden-yellow, pulsing with ancient darkness.
She stared ahead, unblinking, and whispered under her breath with venom-laced sweetness,
"Sahir... I've gained entry into your life. Now, it's time to fulfill Mohana's bidding."
A gust of cold wind swept through the corridor, though no windows were open. The air around Ruby shimmered for a moment, and the faint sound of a distant chime echoed-unnatural, like a signal only witches could hear.
Her smile returned-this time darker, twisted with malice-as she turned and walked away with slow, deliberate grace, her mission now officially begun.
Meanwhile, at the airport...
Mihir and Maira stepped out of the car, wheeled luggage in hand, the golden wash of late afternoon sun glinting off the terminal glass. Just as Maira turned to speak, a high-pitched voice pierced through the buzz of passengers.
"Baby!"
Mihir barely turned before Urvi, dressed in designer athleisure and oversized sunglasses, came rushing toward him and threw her arms around his neck. Her perfume hit like a storm-overpowering and intentionally expensive.
"I missed you so much!" she cooed, clinging to him. "I went on that spa trip, remember? And the moment I landed, I came to surprise you-only to be insulted by your new PA."
She pulled back just enough to glare venomously at Maira, who stood a few feet away, her expression unreadable.
"She humiliated me, Mihir! Refused to let me into your office like some security guard. Imagine the audacity!"
Maira said nothing, simply turning her gaze to the terminal entrance, jaw tight.
Mihir leaned toward Urvi with a smirk, his voice a low whisper, "Don't worry. We'll get back at her."
Urvi's anger melted into a sugary smile. "Thank you, sugarplum," she purred, looping her arm through his.
Behind them, Maira rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath,
"Thank you, sugarplum," in a pitch-perfect imitation, her voice laced with mockery.
She followed them in silence, her pendant still warm against her chest-a quiet reminder that darker things than Urvi's tantrums were stirring.
Onboard the plane to Goa...
The private jet hummed softly as it ascended, the city shrinking below. Maira sat by the window, arms folded, her face calm but her mind anything but.
She tapped her finger on the armrest, eyes narrowed in thought.
"So... Urvi is Mihir sir's girlfriend?" she mumbled to herself, almost scoffing.
"Not that it changes anything. She deserved what I did. Trying to bulldoze into his office like she owns the place-'sugarplum' my foot."
Her eyes drifted to the front where Urvi sat beside Mihir, laughing too loudly at something on his phone.
"And that outfit-looks like a walking neon sign sponsored by bad taste."
Unaware to her, Mihir-sitting a few rows ahead-heard every word.
He suppressed a laugh, his lips curling into a grin as he scrolled aimlessly through his phone. Her voice echoed in his ears thanks to the heightened senses granted by the mark on his neck, still dormant for now.
Urvi glanced at him sideways, her voice sultry and curious.
"What's so funny, baby?"
Mihir didn't look up. "Just saw something hilarious on my feed."
He smirked, eyes twinkling-not from anything on his screen, but from Maira's snarky little commentary.
He leaned back comfortably, his smirk lingering, already plotting how to turn this trip into a lesson she wouldn't forget.
East Valley University - Academic Wing Hallway
The hallway bustled with students transitioning between lectures, books clutched tightly, laughter echoing faintly off the cream-colored walls. Amidst the flow of bodies, Teju turned a corner too sharply and collided into someone.
Papers scattered to the floor.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Teju exclaimed, bending down quickly to help.
The woman she'd bumped into crouched as well, her files already gathering attention. Teju's eyes caught the name on the faculty ID clipped to the folder:
"Professor Ruby Rathore - Psychology Department."
Teju's eyes widened slightly. "Oh! I didn't realize-you're a professor! I'm really sorry, ma'am."
Ruby looked up, smiling faintly, concealing her inner alarm. "That's alright. It's actually my first day."
"Really?" Teju brightened. "It's my first day too. Tejaswini Kakkar," she said warmly, extending a hand.
Ruby straightened slowly. "Ruby Rathore," she replied, reaching out and clasping Teju's hand.
The moment their palms touched, Teju's birthmark-the faint star on her palm-glowed softly, unnoticed by her.
But Ruby jerked her hand back as if burned, eyes widening in stunned disbelief. A sharp pulse shot through her-not pain, but something ancient... repellent.
Teju blinked, concerned. "Are you alright, ma'am?"
Ruby recovered quickly, forcing a smile that didn't reach her now-shadowed eyes. "Yes, just... static, maybe. Carpet, you know?"
Teju chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, happens a lot here. Anyway, nice to meet you, Professor Ruby."
Ruby nodded slowly, watching Teju walk away-completely unaware that her mere touch had sent a daayan reeling.
As the student disappeared into the crowd, Ruby's yellow eyes flickered for a split second, and she whispered under her breath,
"So... you're the one Mohana warned me about."
East Valley University - Corridor, After Teju Leaves
Ruby remained rooted to the spot, staring at the empty hallway where Tejaswini had just walked away. Her fingers twitched slightly, still tingling from the faint shock that surged through her when their palms met. That star-shaped mark... it wasn't ordinary.
Her golden eyes flickered with recognition.
"So... Bishwa has already started planting seeds," she muttered darkly, her voice almost serpentine. "Tejaswini Kakkar... you're not just another girl. You're marked. Chosen."
A cruel smile curled across her lips as she stepped away from the light, into the shadowy alcove of the corridor.
"But no matter. Every light has its shadow. And I know exactly who can help me snuff out yours."
She pulled out her phone, dialing a hidden number known only to the witches who served Mohana's lineage.
"It's time to make a move," she whispered as the line connected. "I've found her. The girl Mohana warned us about. She must be eliminated-before she discovers what she truly is."
She hung up, her smile growing colder.
"Let the hunt begin."
Private Jet - In the Air, Moments Later
Maira sat back, her eyes narrowing as a sudden shimmer of light caught her attention. Her pendant - the one given by her Nani, the one enchanted with protective magic - twinkled faintly against her chest.
Her fingers brushed over it.
"This only glows when danger is near..." she whispered, her brows furrowing. A chill ran down her spine.
Before she could think further, a violent jolt rocked the jet.
The cabin lights flickered.
A collective gasp erupted from the few passengers aboard, and the plane tilted abruptly to one side. The pilots' urgent voices could be heard from the cockpit, but their words were drowned by the rising noise of the wind as turbulence overtook the aircraft.
Urvi screamed, clutching her seat.
Mihir's expression remained calm, but his eyes darted sharply to the cabin door - the bolt was rattling loose.
Maira saw it a second before disaster struck.
"Mihir, move!" she shouted.
In a swift motion, she lunged toward him just as the cabin door ripped from its hinges with a deafening metallic roar. Loose objects flew through the air. Maira crashed into Mihir, shielding him, and they both tumbled backward onto a seat - her on top of him, arms braced on either side.
The wind howled. The emergency locks activated. The oxygen masks dropped. But for a fleeting moment, everything else faded.
Their faces were inches apart.
Their breaths shallow.
Her pendant glowed brighter now, resting between them - as if acknowledging the energy pulsing in the air.
Mihir blinked, stunned not by the fall... but by her.
Maira's heart raced, not from the fall or the fear - but something else. She quickly looked away, then sat up, regaining composure.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice tight.
Mihir, still catching his breath, gave a crooked smile.
"Well... if this is what flying with you is like, I can't wait for the return trip."
Maira rolled her eyes, but her cheeks flushed slightly.
In the seat behind them, Urvi scowled - unnoticed, but watching everything.