College Campus - Afternoon, Main Hallway
The last bell of the day echoed down the hall, followed by the familiar thud of books closing and feet shuffling out of lecture halls. Students spilled into the corridor in little clusters, their voices rising with post-class chatter.
Teju walked beside Savi, her books tucked neatly against her chest. The day had been long, but uneventful-exactly how she liked it.
Beside her, Savi's phone buzzed. She glanced at it and immediately squealed.
"Oh. My. God."
Teju flinched at the volume. "What now?"
Savi turned, eyes wide with excitement. "MK is coming here! Mihir Kashyap! He's performing right here at our college next weekend!"
Teju blinked. "MK?"
Savi stared at her as if she'd just grown another head. "MK. Mihir Kashyap. India's top rockstar? Best voice, best hair, worst attitude but still my future husband?"
Teju gave a blank stare. "Never heard of him."
Savi gasped like she'd been personally offended. "You... you live under a rock."
"I live in books," Teju said flatly.
"Same thing!" Savi retorted, already typing furiously. "I'm booking us passes. The concert's happening right here-either in the open ground or the college auditorium. It's gonna be a madhouse!"
Teju's eyes widened. "Wait, what? No, you're not-"
"Shush!" Savi lifted a finger. "This is non-negotiable. You're coming. End of story. Even if I have to drag you there in chains."
"I don't like crowds."
"Then you'll love the music. Trust me. MK live is magic. I swear, if his guitar had wings, it would fly us to another dimension."
Teju sighed. "You're being dramatic."
"I'm being historically accurate," Savi said, eyes still glued to the screen. "Got them! Two passes. Front zone."
Teju looked at her in half-amusement, half-defeat. "You're impossible."
"And you're going to your first concert with me," Savi said, linking arms with her. "It's fate."
As they walked off together, Teju couldn't help but wonder: What was the big deal about this Mihir Kashyap, anyway?
Bandhap Cave - Nightfall
The air inside Bandhap Cave was heavy with forgotten chants and ancient dread. Dim torches clung to the walls like dying whispers, casting shadows that twisted unnaturally, as if they held secrets of their own.
At the center, bound to a throne of stone and bone, sat Mohana-her beauty untouched by time, her gaze fierce despite the silver chains snaking around her limbs. Each link pulsed faintly, forged by sacred rituals to contain her darkness. Yet the smirk playing on her lips said she wasn't truly powerless.
A gust of cursed wind spiraled into the cave-and Sunehri emerged, robes tattered, her breath uneven.
Mohana didn't look at her. "Failed, didn't you?"
Sunehri dropped to her knees, head bowed. "Yes, Maha Daayan. I almost had her-Bishwa. But Sahir interfered."
That caught Mohana's attention.
Her head turned slowly, eyes like obsidian fire. "Sahir."
Sunehri nodded, lips drawn tight. "He tracked me. Disguised himself as the girl. Fought like he knew I was coming."
Mohana leaned back, the sound of her chains clinking softly. "Of course he did," she murmured. "He's beginning to listen to his instincts. My blood burns brighter in him than even Mihir."
Sunehri tensed. "Your blood... but they weren't born yours."
Mohana's smile curved-cold, triumphant. "No. They weren't."
Her voice turned low, laced with memory.
"They were born of Shubham Kashyap and his innocent bride. But powerless. Ordinary. Fragile. Until the day he came to me, begging for wealth... fame... greatness. I gave it all-for a price."
She raised her chained wrist slightly, eyes gleaming.
"His sons."
Sunehri's eyes widened faintly. "You turned them into-"
"Davansh," Mohana finished. "Half-human. Half-daayan. My blood flows in their veins. Not by birth-but by design."
She smirked. "And Sahir... Sahir is the one who fights it most. The one whose soul still trembles between light and shadow."
A pause. Then her tone dropped with menace.
"That is why Bishwa must be eliminated. Not persuaded. Not weakened. Eliminated."
Her voice grew sharper, deadly.
"She is a threat to the rise of the Davansh. Her bond with Sahir, her light-it's more dangerous than any weapon. Kill her. However it takes. At all cost."
Sunehri clenched her fists. "As you command, Maha Daayan."
In a swirl of darkness, she vanished.
And Mohana, chained and unmoved, looked up at the trembling stalactites above her.
"They may not be my sons by blood," she whispered, "but I made them what they are. And I will make them mine-entirely."
College Grounds - Concert Day, Evening
The sun dipped low, casting a golden hue over the sprawling college lawns where rows of lights, speakers, and banners turned the familiar space into a grand musical venue. It was the day of MK's live concert-the event everyone had been buzzing about.
Backstage, in the makeshift dressing room, Maira moved quickly from corner to corner, headset on, clipboard in hand, checking last-minute logistics. But Mihir wasn't making it easy.
"Why is the mic stand two inches off-center?" he snapped, arms folded, pacing shirtless in his signature black ripped jeans. "Do I have to explain everything to you like a trainee?"
Maira didn't flinch. She adjusted the stand silently, measured it precisely, then turned to him with a calm expression. "Fixed. Anything else?"
Mihir narrowed his eyes. "You're enjoying this, aren't you? Acting like nothing happened."
"I'm doing my job," she said coolly. "You should try it sometime, sir."
He was about to reply when the stylist walked in with his jacket, and Maira moved away without waiting for dismissal. Her heart raced, but her spine stayed straight. No matter how he tried to rattle her, she refused to break.
---
College Entrance - Same Time
"Come on, Teju! You can't look like you're attending a funeral!" Savi chirped, dragging her best friend into the festive crowd. Teju had given in after two hours of relentless pleading.
"I don't even know his songs," Teju muttered.
"Then it's time you learned! Besides, you'll thank me later when you see the crowd," Savi winked.
"I still don't get why this MK guy matters so much," Teju grumbled.
Savi grinned. "Because he's hot. And he's Mihir Kashyap. And because you need to stop acting like you're 80."
Teju was mid-eye-roll when her shoulder accidentally knocked into a graceful middle-aged woman stepping out of a black car. The woman staggered slightly and winced.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry, ma'am," Teju said, immediately reaching out.
The woman, Sapna Kashyap, steadied herself on the nearby bench. "It's alright, beta. I think I twisted my foot a little."
Teju knelt at once. "Let me help."
Her hands gently circled Sapna's foot and began massaging with calm, confident pressure. The woman sighed in relief.
From behind, a few figures approached-Uma, Akhil, and Moti Baa.
"What's going on here?" Uma asked sharply.
Sapna gestured to Teju. "She helped me. Very politely."
The glow of fairy lights crisscrossed the stage, while the low hum of the crowd built toward a roar. As Teju bent beside the graceful woman she had accidentally knocked into, her hands instinctively checked for swelling on the older woman's ankle.
"I'm really sorry, ma'am," Teju said, gently supporting the foot and massaging the sore spot. "I think you've sprained it a little-but nothing's torn. You should be fine in a few minutes."
The woman gave a small, surprised smile. "You sound like you know what you're doing."
Teju offered a humble nod. "I'm a medical student."
Before anything more could be said, a familiar, deep voice reached them.
"Maa?"
Sahir Kashyap rushed forward, concern etched across his calm face. He knelt beside the woman-Sapna Kashyap-and gently took her hand. "What happened?"
Sapna gave a soft sigh. "Nothing major. This young girl accidentally bumped into me. But she handled it before I could even complain."
Teju looked up, nervous. "I didn't mean to-I wasn't watching..."
"She fixed it," Sapna cut in, smiling warmly. "Good hands. Calm mind. Smart girl."
Sahir's brows rose as he finally recognized her. "Teju? You're here?"
Before she could answer, Savi swooped in behind her. "Sir! Don't blame her-I dragged her to MK's concert! She didn't want to come."
Teju added quickly, "And I hurt your mother."
Sapna squeezed her hand lightly. "You helped me more than you hurt me, dear."
Moti Baa, standing behind them, her presence dignified despite age, leaned on her cane and studied Teju quietly. "Such a soft heart. But her spirit's steady."
Just then, Uma joined the little circle with Akhil, both watching the scene unfold.
"So..." Moti Baa tilted her head. "You two know each other?"
Sahir nodded. "She's one of my students. Tejaswini Kakkar. First-year medical."
At the name, Sapna's gaze lingered on Teju again-this time with something deeper. A flicker of intuition. Something old and inexplicable.
"She reminds me of someone," Sapna murmured to herself.
Savi clapped her hands. "Sir! Don't tell me you came just to watch MK? Secret fan alert!"
Before Sahir could respond, Uma smirked and said, "He's not a fan, sweetheart. He's MK's elder twin brother."
Teju's head whipped around. "Wait-what?!"
Savi looked like someone had dropped a bucket of glitter in her brain. "Are you serious?!"
Sahir shrugged modestly. "Surprise?"
Teju tried to wrap her head around it-the quiet, composed professor Sahir and the wild, arrogant Mihir Savi told her about. Twins? She wouldn't have guessed in a hundred years.
She looked toward the stage where Mihir Kashyap-MK himself-stood surrounded by lights and frenzy, preparing for his performance.
And somewhere deep in her gut... a strange restlessness stirred.
As if this concert was not just a performance-
...but a crossroads.