Vihaan stormed down the staircase, every step echoing like thunder across the silent haveli. His damp clothes shimmered for a moment before drying on their own, magic rippling across the fabric as if fire and shadow licked it clean. His eyes burned with an unsettling glow, the trace of humanity that had flickered upstairs now buried deep beneath the darkness.
Betalini rose gracefully, her silken black gown trailing like venomous smoke as she glided to his side. Her crimson lips curved into a triumphant smile. Without hesitation, she slipped her hand into Vihaan's arm, standing beside him as though she already belonged there.
The air in the mansion thickened. Candles that had once given soft light now burned with black flames, twisting shadows across the walls. The once-pristine mandap stood at the center of the hall—now transformed into something grotesque, draped in dark veils, garlands of withered flowers, and a throne of bone-like wood.
The family stood clustered together, their faces etched with dread.Veena clutched her hands together, while Raani buried her face against Dadi's shoulder, muffling a sob. Sharda's lips trembled with unspoken prayers. None dared to move. None dared to breathe.
Vihaan and Betalini walked together toward the mandap, their steps perfectly in sync, their dark union looming nearer with every heartbeat.
Gauri's absence clawed at the family's hearts. They knew she was their last hope. Yet here—now—before their eyes, the impossible was unfolding.
And still, none of them could stop it.
Meanwhile, in the silence of Vihaan's room, the window creaked softly as Yug slipped inside first. He turned back quickly, offering his hand to Charvi, who climbed in right after. Gauri was already waiting near the bed, her face pale but her eyes steady.
"You both came," she whispered in relief.
Yug nodded. "Bhabhi, we don't have time. Bhaiya has already gone to the mandap with Betalini."
Charvi's worry showed on her face as she looked around. "Didi, Pratham Vanshi said the key to jijaji's freedom is here… but what are we even looking for? Everything looks normal."
The three of them spread out in a hurry. Gauri moved to the shelves, brushing her hands across old books and decorations. Yug pulled open drawers, tossing aside papers and objects in frustration. Charvi bent to check under the bed, dragging out dusty boxes filled with random keepsakes.
Minutes ticked by, the room heavy with silence broken only by the sound of their frantic search. Nothing seemed unusual.
Gauri slumped onto the bed, her fingers tightening in helplessness. "She said it's tied to a memory he holds dear… but how do we know which one? Everything here is a piece of him."
Yug shut a drawer sharply, anger flashing in his eyes. "If we fail, Bhaiya will be lost forever to that demoness."
Just then, Charvi froze near the cupboard. In the corner behind the clothes, her fingers brushed against something cold and metallic. She tugged, pulling out a small, dust-covered box. Unlike the rest of the room, the box gleamed faintly with a strange glow.
"Didi…" Charvi whispered, her voice low with awe. "Look what I found."
Gauri's heart skipped. She hurried to her sister, her hands trembling as she touched the box. The glow pulsed brighter, as if responding to her touch.
"This…" she breathed. "This could be the memory. The key to Vihaan's heart."
Charvi turned the little box over in her hands, biting her lip. "Didi… it's locked. How do we even open this?"
"Wait," Yug said, already rummaging near the shelves. He pulled out a small hammer he had spotted earlier and crouched on the floor. "We'll break it."
Gauri quickly knelt beside him, her hand resting over the box protectively. "Careful, Yug. If this is the key to Vihaan's heart, then what's inside could be precious. We can't risk destroying it."
"I promise, Bhabhi," Yug said softly. With steady hands, he placed the box flat on the floor and tapped around the edges, careful not to hit too hard. A sharp crack echoed in the room, then another, until the lock finally split open.
The three of them held their breath as Gauri lifted the lid. Inside, nestled in folds of old, faded cloth, lay a small silver bangle, dulled with age and dust.
Gauri's hands trembled as she picked it up. She rubbed the surface gently with her sari's pallu, and as the dust cleared, her eyes widened. There, etched faintly along the curve of the bangle, was a childish mark—a crooked little star she herself had carved long ago.
Her lips parted, her heart thundering in her chest. "This… this is mine…"
Charvi frowned in confusion. "Yours, Didi?"
The room blurred before Gauri's eyes as memories long buried came rushing back.
---
Seventeen years ago.
Eight-year-old Gauri sat huddled in a dark corner of the orphanage, her tiny hand clutching her scraped knee. The warden's cruel words still echoed in her ears. "You're an ominous child. No family wants you. That's why no one comes for you."
Her eyes burned with tears. That night, under the pale moonlight, she slipped quietly out of the orphanage gates. Her little feet carried her into the jungle. "I'll find my mumma and papa," she whispered to herself, though her voice trembled.
Branches snapped behind her, and suddenly, glowing eyes circled her—wolves, growling low. Fear froze her body, but then a sharp cry rang out.
"Get away from her!"
A boy about her age leapt from the bushes, a backpack slung over his shoulders. He waved a stick and shouted until the wolves backed away into the shadows. He turned to Gauri, panting. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks. That night, the two of them wandered through the forest together, searching for a way out. They stumbled into a clearing lit by hundreds of fireflies, the world glowing like magic.
Sitting under that enchanted sky, Gauri whispered her pain. "I don't have parents… I miss them every day. I just want someone to love me."
The boy's face fell. "At least you don't have to hear lies. My mom… she loves me so much, but today, my cousin Veer told the others that my real mother was a dancer. They laughed at me. I couldn't take it, so I ran… and got lost." His little hands balled into fists.
Gauri looked at him with her tearful, innocent eyes. She slipped off the bangle from her wrist—her only possession, slightly loose on her tiny arm. "Here. If we ever get separated… this will help us find each other again."
The boy accepted it, eyes softening. "Promise?"
"Promise," Gauri smiled through her tears.
---
The flash of memory ended, and Gauri gasped aloud, clutching the bangle tight against her chest. Tears spilled freely down her face.
"It was him," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Seventeen years ago… the boy who saved me, the boy who shared my pain in the firefly field… it was Vihaan."
Charvi covered her mouth in shock, and Yug's eyes widened as the truth sank in.
"Bhabhi," Yug breathed. "That means… Bhaiya was destined to be with you all along."
Gauri's sobs deepened, her heart aching with both joy and despair. "Yes… and he doesn't even remember. This bangle… this is the string of his heart. This is what will bring him back to me."