As Yug and Charvi helped Gauri to her feet, Sharda quickly supported her from the other side, her face lined with worry. Gauri's breath was still shaky, but her eyes never left Vihaan.
Vihaan's dark laughter echoed through the hall, sharp and chilling.
"My bad," he said mockingly, his voice laced with arrogance. "I should've introduced her properly."
He pulled Betalini closer, his arm slipping proudly around her waist.
"Meet Betalini—the Bat Demoness. One scream from her can rip through your fragile bodies in a jiffy. She isn't just a woman… she's power."
The Kotharis gasped in horror. Dadi clutched her prayer beads, whispering a shaky mantra under her breath, while Raani stumbled back, covering her ears as though the very memory of Betalini's scream still rattled inside her head.
Gauri's eyes widened, her lips trembling as she muttered, "Demoness…?"
Vihaan smirked, savoring their fear. "I know what you're all thinking… Why would Vihaan want to marry a demoness? Why betray Gauri?"
He leaned closer to Gauri, his words meant to pierce her heart.
"It's simple. To break this sacred bond you all hold so dear… and to replace it with a demonic marriage. A union strong enough to enhance every ounce of darkness inside me, to awaken the full Sarvansh in my veins."
"Vihaan, no!" Gauri cried out, her voice cracking as tears welled in her eyes.
But Vihaan only tilted his head, a cruel smile tugging at his lips.
"Why not, Gauri? Why should I waste myself in human bonds when I can rule as what I was meant to be—the son of Kamini, heir to the dark world?"
Betalini laughed, a chilling echo that reverberated across the walls. Her voice was as sharp as her claws. "Soon, Gauri, you'll see… Vihaan will no longer belong to you, nor this family. He'll belong only to me, and to the darkness."
The family froze in terror, the weight of Vihaan's betrayal heavy in the air. Gauri clutched her chest, the sacred flame of her love battling the shadows creeping over her heart.
Vihaan's voice boomed with wicked authority.
"Enough of this waiting! Tonight, under the moon's shadow, I will wed Betalini. Prepare yourselves, for your son will walk into his true destiny as the King of Darkness."
The Kotharis froze in dread. Betalini's lips curled into a sinister smile as she leaned on Vihaan's shoulder possessively.
But before he could step away, Gauri suddenly rushed forward and grabbed his hand, her grip trembling yet unyielding.
"Vihaan!" she cried, her voice ringing with raw defiance.
Vihaan's eyes flickered in shock. No one—no human—had dared stop him since his transformation. His demonic aura surged, but Gauri's touch held firm.
"You are my husband," she declared, her tear-filled eyes blazing with determination. "And as long as I wear your name in the vermillion on my forehead and the mangalsutra around my neck, you cannot belong to anyone else!"
Her voice cracked but carried the weight of truth as she held her mangalsutra tight in one hand, her vermillion glowing faintly under the hall's light.
"These symbols are not ornaments, Vihaan," Gauri continued, her tone fierce. "They are my vows, my bond, my shield—and I swear on them, I will not let this demonic marriage happen. Not tonight, not ever!"
For a brief instant, Vihaan's fiery red eyes faltered, his grip tightening as if something deep inside him stirred against his darkness.
The family looked on with wide eyes—hope and fear colliding in their chests. Even Betalini stiffened, her mocking grin fading as she hissed under her breath, realizing the sanctity of Gauri's words was cutting through Vihaan's darkness like a dagger.
Vihaan snarled, trying to shake off the tremor in his soul, but his hand lingered in hers, bound by a connection even his Sarvansh blood struggled to sever.
Vihaan's grip tightened around Gauri's wrist as his eyes gleamed with blood-red fury.
"You're a stubborn woman, Gauri," he hissed darkly, dragging her despite the family's desperate pleas. "But stubbornness won't save you this time."
The Kotharis cried out—
"Vihaan, leave her!" Sharda begged.
"Beta, don't hurt her!" Dadi pleaded with folded hands.
But Vihaan didn't falter. He dragged Gauri into his chamber with brute force, slamming the door shut and locking it. The family banged frantically from the outside, but the bolt sealed tight.
Inside, the air turned thick with his demonic aura. His claws dug lightly into her arms as he clutched her close, his voice a chilling growl.
"Don't even think of coming near me again. Don't you dare try to stop my wedding, or I won't be responsible for what happens to you."
But instead of trembling, Gauri slowly raised her hand and pressed it against his chest—right over his heart.
Vihaan froze. His breath hitched. His heart thundered beneath her touch, as if the human in him was clawing for air.
Her eyes shimmered with tears, yet her tone was steady.
"I'm glad I affect you this much, Vihaan. Even if you deny it, your heart knows it belongs to me."
His body stiffened. He suddenly yanked himself away as though burned, stumbling back before his rage flared.
"Stay the f*** away from me!" he roared, his voice shaking the walls.
With a violent wave of his hand, the lock glowed with a sinister light. The door sealed itself with dark magic, trapping Gauri inside.
"You will remain here," he declared coldly, his voice echoing with finality, "until my marriage with Betalini is complete."
He swung the door open just enough to face his family, their horrified faces staring at him. His words cut like steel.
"And if anyone dares try to free her…" his blood-red eyes burned, "…I will destroy them. Remember—this is your only warning."
With that, he turned, his dark aura trailing behind him, as the sound of Betalini's sinister laughter filled the hall.
Inside the locked room, Gauri placed her palm against the sealed door, whispering through her tears:
"No matter how many chains you bind me with, Vihaan… my determination will break them all."