The grand ballroom of the Kashyap mansion glittered under crystal chandeliers, every surface polished to perfection for the engagement ceremony. The scent of tuberoses and sandalwood incense hung heavy in the air as Ruby extended her delicate hand toward Sahir, the diamond engagement ring catching the candlelight like trapped starlight.
Sahir's fingers trembled as he took the ring. The gold band felt unnaturally heavy in his palm - not just metal, but chains. He could feel every eye in the room upon them, the weight of expectations pressing down.
"Go on, beta," Sapna murmured from beside them, her voice thick with emotion. "Make your mother proud."
The moment the cold metal touched Ruby's finger, Sahir's gaze instinctively sought Teju. She stood apart from the crowd near the grand piano, her simple peach sari a muted contrast to Ruby's crimson lehenga. When their eyes met, Teju's lips parted slightly - just enough for Sahir to see the quick intake of breath that made the jasmine flowers tremble in her hair.
*"You should be smiling, fiancé,"* Ruby whispered through her perfect teeth, her fingers tightening around his wrist in a grip that belied her delicate appearance. Her nails bit into his skin, hidden from view by the fall of her embroidered dupatta.
Sahir forced his mouth into the expected shape of joy, the expression brittle as glass. The guests erupted in applause, the sound washing over him like waves against a drowning man.
From the curved marble staircase, Mihir watched the proceedings with growing irritation. His fingers clenched around the banister as he took in the scene - the beaming families, the exchanged rings, the carefully constructed perfection of it all.
*The rings.*
He had hidden them himself just hours before - tucked deep under the rug. The engagement shouldn't be happening. Not today. Perhaps not ever.
His sharp gaze swept the room, analyzing, calculating. It landed on Maira near the entrance, her usual composed self, arms crossed as she observed the ceremony. There was no particular expression on her face - not satisfaction, not amusement - just quiet observation.
A flash of movement caught his attention. Near the piano, Teju turned abruptly, nearly colliding with a waiter carrying champagne flutes. Without a word to anyone, she pushed through the crowd toward the terrace doors, one hand pressed to her stomach as if in pain.
Maira noticed immediately and followed.
Mihir's jaw tightened. Whatever game was being played here, he intended to find the players.
The terrace was blessedly cool after the stifling heat of the ballroom. Teju gripped the stone balustrade with both hands, her knuckles whitening under the pressure. The night air carried the scent of jasmine from the gardens below, mixed with the distant promise of monsoon rains.
Footsteps approached. "Teju?"
She didn't turn. Couldn't. Not when her vision was blurred with unshed tears.
Maira came to stand beside her, the silk of her sari whispering against the stone. For a long moment, she said nothing, just waited.
"I'm fine," Teju managed, the words brittle as dried leaves. She swiped hastily at her eyes. "Just needed some air."
"Look at me."
When Teju didn't respond, Maira turned her gently but firmly by the shoulders. Moonlight revealed what the ballroom's glow had concealed - the tear tracks on Teju's cheeks, the slight tremble of her lower lip.
"Try again," Maira said softly.
The dam broke.
"I don't understand what's happening to me," Teju whispered, her voice cracking. "Seeing him put that ring on her finger...it felt like someone reached into my chest and..." She pressed a hand over her heart, fingers curling into the fabric of her sari.
Maira reached out, brushing away a crushed jasmine petal stuck to Teju's palm - evidence of the flowers she'd unconsciously destroyed in her distress. "Jealousy has a particular kind of pain," she murmured.
"No!" Teju recoiled as if burned. "He's my professor. It's not...I couldn't..."
"Love doesn't ask for permission," Maira said gently. "Or qualifications."
The word hung between them, enormous and terrifying.
The night air hung thick between them, heavy with the scent of crushed jasmine and unshed tears. Teju shook her head violently, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
"Love? No—you're wrong," she insisted, her voice trembling. "All I've ever wanted is to become a doctor. Nothing else matters."
Maira studied her for a long moment before speaking softly. "Then prove it to yourself." She reached out, gently taking Teju's wrist. "Put your hand over your heart. Close your eyes. And tell me what you see."
Teju recoiled. "This is ridiculous—"
"Unless you're afraid of what you'll find?"
The challenge hung between them. After a beat of hesitation, Teju slowly raised her hand, pressing her palm flat against her chest. Her eyes fluttered shut.
At first—nothing. Just the frantic drum of her pulse. Then...
**The Memories Came:**
1. Clinging to Sahir in the library after being startled
2. His arms around her during the storage room fire
3. Their shared embrace in the highway rain
Her eyes snapped open, pulse racing.
Maira arched a brow. "Still think it's nothing?"
Teju's tears fell silently in the moonlit garden.
"You're crying," Maira observed.
"I love him," Teju confessed, voice raw. "Sahir sir. And it can never be."
Inside, Sahir's gaze darted across the ballroom—past laughing guests, swirling dancers, the glittering chandeliers—searching for a familiar face in peach silk.
Ruby tightened her grip on his arm. "Looking for someone?"
The terrace doors stood empty. Just the night breeze stirring the curtains where Teju had vanished.
Sahir's chest ached with inexplicable loss as the orchestra played their engagement waltz.
Teju collapsed against Maira, tears soaking her sari. "He'll never love me back now."
Maira held her tighter, watching Sahir's restless gaze sweep the ballroom. He kept glancing toward the terrace where they stood hidden in shadows.
"She's not his destiny," Maira murmured into Teju's hair. "You are." Her arms tightened around the weeping girl. Somewhere in the mansion, the ancient Kashyap clock chimed - the same clock that had foretold the Bishwa's arrival generations ago.
As ruby-lipped laughter floated from the party, Maira made a silent vow. This engagement would shatter. The prophecy demanded it.
Meanwhile in another part of the city
The penthouse smelled of stale whiskey and sleepless obsession. Raj stood at attention, phone pressed to his ear in a white-knuckled grip. "Sarkar-ji," he said, his voice layered with forced deference, "I've confirmed she's at Hansraj College. Your daughter won't escape again."
On the desk lay a single photograph - Teju Kakkar in a simple blue salwar kameez, her college ID picture. No bridal finery, no wedding memories. Just the defiant tilt of her chin that had haunted him for sixty-three days since she'd vanished the night before their wedding.
Sarkar's voice crackled with barely contained fury. "You disappoint me, Raj. My daughter makes fools of us both."
Raj's free hand hovered over the revolver. "The college records confirm 'Teju Kakkar' is enrolled in the medical program. I have her class schedule, her hostel room number." His thumb traced her photo. "Tomorrow, I bring your daughter home."
Raj placed the mangalsutra beside the photo - the one Teju had never worn. "Tomorrow," he whispered, "tomorrow I will have you in my grasp and you won't be able to escape"
The last of the guests had departed, leaving the grand hall in eerie silence. Ruby's fingers trembled as she knelt by the flower arrangement near the staircase, her heart pounding.
*Where is it?*
Her breath hitched as she frantically searched—pushing aside petals, digging into the vase—but the ring was gone.
Panic clawed at her throat. *Someone took it.*
If the Kashyaps discovered the Daayan ring, they would know. They would *see* her for what she truly was—not just a bride, but Mohana's minion, a spy woven into their family's fate.
Her nails dug into her palms. *This can't happen.*
She forced a smile as footsteps approached. Uma stood at the hall's entrance, her gaze sharp. "Ruby? Is everything alright?"
Ruby straightened, her voice smooth as silk. "Just admiring the flowers, Aunty."
But beneath her calm, fury and fear coiled. *Whoever took that ring will pay.*
Meanwhile In the quiet solitude of her room at the Sharma residence, Maira gently placed the Daayan ring into a bowl of holy water. The moment the ring touched the water, it turned jet black, rippling with dark energy. Her eyes widened in shock. "It's indeed a Daayan ring," she whispered, a mixture of fear and determination in her voice. "I found it in the Kashyap."
A flashback unfurled.
Just moments earlier, Maira had helped Teju realize her feelings and offered her comforting words. Now, she was preparing to attend the main party, her mind racing with thoughts of what needed to be done. She knew she had to find a way to prevent Sahir and Ruby's wedding—because it was essential for Sahir and Teju to unite. Teju was Bishwa, and only Bishwa could protect this family from Mohana's evil eyes. More than that, she needed to uncover the source of the danger—the dark force her Nani and the mystical book had warned her about.
Standing beside the staircase, near a floral arrangement, her gaze was drawn to her locket, which suddenly began to glow faintly. The light responded to something hidden within the flowers. Curious, she looked closer and saw the ring nestled among the blossoms—the same ring she had just examined. It looked ancient, dark, and powerful. Could this truly be a Daayan ring? Her heart pounded as she carefully plucked it from the flowers and slipped it into her bag, determined to examine it further.
Just then, she bumped into Mihir. Before she could react, he swiftly caught her, their eyes locking in a moment that felt suspended in time. For a brief second, the world around them seemed to hush. Mihir's gaze held a strange, intense look. Then, suddenly, he stepped back—almost as if he was pushing her away—and in the process, he accidentally dropped her.
"Ouch! What for?" she exclaimed, rubbing her arm as she looked up at him, surprised.
Mihir smirked arrogantly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Let's see," he said, walking away with a confident stride, as if dismissing her completely.
Maira stood up quickly, brushing herself off. She muttered under her breath, "Mihir sir is a very strange man. First, he warned me to stay away from him. When I clarified that I don't like boys with red flags, he looked mad. Honestly, I don't get him at all."
She paused, then added softly, "Anyway, I should just focus on my duty as a Reevavanshi and find out if this is truly a Daayan ring."
Clutching her bag tightly, she watched him walk away, her mind swirling with questions. The shadows of danger and mystery loomed large around her, but her resolve was unwavering—she would uncover the truth, no matter what it took.
End of flashback