By midday, the sun glared overhead, its rays cutting through the tangled canopy of the jungle. Gauri, Yug, and Charvi pushed forward, their breaths heavy, their clothes streaked with dust and leaves. Clutched in Gauri's hand, the glowing map pulsed brighter with every step, pulling them deeper into the dense wilderness.
Finally, the trio stumbled into a clearing—the entrance of Pratham Vansh. All around, the trees stood lifeless and skeletal, their leaves withered, the earth dry and cracked as though cursed by centuries of decay.
Charvi's hand tightened around Gauri's wrist. "Didi… this place… it feels haunted."
Yug scanned the area, his jaw tense. "No turning back now. If this is where the map has brought us, then the Pratham Vanshi must be close."
Taking a steadying breath, Gauri stepped forward. The moment her foot touched the barren soil, something incredible happened.
The air shifted.
Unseen by the three, the withered branches quivered, trembling as though stirred awake after a long slumber. Leaves sprouted in an instant, green and vibrant. Flowers bloomed in wild bursts of color. The ground, once cracked, glowed faintly with a golden shimmer, as if the land itself rejoiced at her presence.
But Gauri's eyes remained on the path ahead, unaware of the miracle blooming around her. She walked steadily, Yug and Charvi at her side, until they reached a small cottage nestled within the rejuvenated grove.
The door creaked open.
From within emerged a woman draped in flowing white robes, her hair silver as moonlight, her forehead marked with the sacred tilak of power. Her eyes—piercing, ancient, and all-seeing—fell instantly on Gauri.
A ripple of energy swept the clearing. The Pratham Vanshi stilled, her lips parting ever so slightly.
"The Jalpanchi has stepped into my abode," she murmured to herself, her voice like wind and thunder woven together.
The trio quickly bowed, their hands folded in reverence.
"Greetings, Pratham Vanshi," Gauri whispered, her heart racing.
The woman stepped closer, raising her hand in blessing. "Child… destiny breathes through you. The fire of faith, the ocean of resilience—you carry both within. You are chosen."
Gauri felt a strange warmth surge through her veins as the Pratham Vanshi's hand hovered above her head. Yug and Charvi bowed deeply, their faces glowing with reverence, as the jungle echoed with the silent hum of unseen power.
The air was alive, the ground pulsing as if recognizing its true guardian.
For the first time since the chaos began, hope shimmered—not just for Vihaan, but for all.
Pratham Vanshi stepped closer, her eyes glowing faintly as if they held the reflection of unseen flames.
"I know why you've come," she said, her voice calm but unyielding. "To free Vihaan from the darkness that consumes him."
Gauri folded her hands desperately. "Please, tell us how. There must be a way."
"There is," Pratham Vanshi replied. "A man lost to shadows can only be pulled back when the string of his heart is tugged — the memory that still binds him to his light."
Yug frowned. "A string in brother's heart?"
Gauri glanced at him, whispering quickly, "It's a metaphor."
Pratham Vanshi nodded. "You will find the key to his freedom inside his room. It is tied to a memory he holds most dear. Seek it, and you will weaken the darkness around him."
The trio exchanged a glance, tension mounting. Then Gauri said, "But… Betalini. She won't let us near him. She has already trapped him in her snare."
Pratham Vanshi's gaze hardened. From inside her cottage, she brought out a folded white cloth, shimmering faintly with sacred energy. She placed it in Gauri's hands.
"Betalini's power lies in her mouth," she explained. "Her scream can kill in a jiffy. If you bind her mouth with this cloth, her power will collapse, and the demoness will be destroyed."
The cloth pulsed once, as though alive in Gauri's grip.
Charvi tightened her hold on Gauri's arm. "Didi… then it means tonight—"
"Yes," Yug cut in, fire in his voice. "Tonight is war. We won't let Bhaiya's marriage to that demoness happen."
Pratham Vanshi raised her hand in blessing. "Go now. The map will lead you. Remember — Vihaan's freedom lies in the memory he treasures most. Find it before the darkness seals him forever."
The three bowed, clutching the sacred cloth and map, before stepping back into the forest shadows.
Back at the Kothari haveli, the air grew heavy with an unnatural chill. Shadows crept along the walls like living serpents, slithering across the furniture. Suddenly, a gust of black wind blew through the house, extinguishing every diya and lamp in an instant.
The family huddled together, alarmed.
Then footsteps echoed. Vihaan appeared at the top of the staircase, his eyes burning crimson, his lips curled into a cruel smirk. He raised his hand, and with a wave of his fingers, the mansion shuddered violently.
The once warm and sacred household twisted into something grotesque. Red flames lit themselves in place of lamps, casting eerie glows on the walls. The golden drapes turned to tattered black cloth, fluttering as if alive. Every flower garland decorating the entrance shriveled and bled, dripping thick crimson instead of nectar.
The marble tiles beneath their feet cracked, black veins spreading across the floor like a spider's web. From the ceiling, chandeliers morphed into clusters of jagged bones, swaying as if hungry for prey.
Screams—hollow and ghostly—whispered through the corridors, chilling everyone's blood.
"This…" Dadi gasped, clutching Sharda's arm. "This is no home anymore… it's a shaamshan."
Veena collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "My son… what has he become?"
Vihaan descended the stairs slowly, his hand brushing through his dark hair with a twisted charm, his black sherwani glistening like an omen. His presence sucked the very hope out of the air.
"Welcome," he sneered, his voice echoing unnaturally through the hall. "To the beginning of my wedding celebrations. Tonight, this haveli will witness history—the union of darkness and immortality."
Behind him, Betalini appeared, her bat-like eyes glinting with malice. The family gasped as she let out a soft, spine-chilling hiss, her lips curving into a smile.
"Decorations suit me, don't they?" Vihaan mocked. "This mansion… this family… all will bow to my choice."
The family stared in horror at the desecrated haveli, their hearts pounding, realizing the night was only going to grow darker.