Downstairs, the atmosphere had turned hellish. The walls of the mansion pulsed with a sickly glow, shadows writhed like living creatures, and the air was thick with the smell of burning incense. At the center, a demonic priest with hollow eyes and ash-smeared skin appeared at Vihaan's command, chanting guttural mantras that reverberated with an unnatural echo.
Vihaan, draped in his dark attire, stood tall beside Betalini, his smirk cruel and commanding. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a blackened flame that lit the mandap. "Begin the dark marital rites," he ordered, his voice ringing with authority.
The family huddled together helplessly, their faces pale with dread. Veena clutched her sari pallu, tears streaming uncontrollably, while Dadi held her hand tightly, whispering prayers under her breath.
Suddenly, a firm voice broke through the demonic chants.
"This marriage will not happen."
All heads turned.
There stood Gauri at the top of the staircase, her presence radiant despite the horror surrounding her. Her eyes blazed with determination, and the faint sunlight streaming through the windows seemed to bend toward her, illuminating her in defiance of the darkness.
"Gauri!" the family cried in unison, relief flooding their faces as if life itself had returned to them.
Vihaan's eyes narrowed, his smirk faltering. "You… How did you get out of the room?" His tone carried both suspicion and irritation.
Behind him, Betalini hissed, her sharp fangs flashing. "She shouldn't be here…"
For a fleeting moment, Gauri's mind went back. She remembered pushing against the locked door of the room, more out of desperation than strength, and to her astonishment, it had opened. She had exchanged a shocked glance with Yug and Charvi before rushing downstairs.
"It doesn't make sense," Gauri whispered, half to herself, her eyes lowering to her hand. "Vihaan had sealed the door with his powers. It should have been impossible."
Her fingers brushed over the simple ring on her left hand. Unknown to her, in that desperate moment, the ring had glowed faintly, releasing a pulse of divine energy that had shattered Vihaan's dark spell on the door.
Charvi, panting from the rush downstairs, grabbed her sister's hand and whispered urgently. "Didi, don't think about how. Focus on stopping jiju's marriage. That's all that matters."
Yug, his gaze flickering between his brother and Gauri, nodded grimly. "Charvi's right. This fight isn't about logic—it's about saving Bhaiya before it's too late."
Gauri lifted her chin, her grip tightening on the bangle now hidden in her fist. She stepped forward, her voice cutting through the eerie silence.
"This mandap, this wedding, this darkness—none of it has any power over the bond I share with Vihaan. I will not let you destroy him, Betalini. And I will not let you take my husband away from me."
The demonic priest faltered mid-chant, the fire flickering as if in resistance to her words.
For the first time since the chaos began, Vihaan's eyes shifted—not with rage, but with a flicker of something deeper. His hand clenched involuntarily over his chest, as if something unseen had tugged at the strings of his heart.
The demonic flames around the mandap roared higher as Gauri's defiance filled the hall. Betalini's crimson eyes gleamed with cruel amusement, her lips curving into a sinister smile.
"Oh, how touching," Betalini mocked, her voice dripping with venom. "The little human girl thinks she can save her husband from me? How… laughable." She turned to Vihaan, brushing her clawed fingers along his arm. "Shall I teach her the cost of standing against us?"
Vihaan leaned back casually in his dark throne, his smirk cold. "My pleasure. Do as you wish, Betalini."
The family gasped, their protests silenced by the wave of dark energy that pulsed from Vihaan's hand. Betalini stepped forward, her black gown trailing like a river of shadows, her gaze fixed on Gauri.
But Gauri did not flinch. She stood tall, her chin lifted, her voice firm. "You can laugh all you want, Betalini, but I will not let you succeed. You will not take Vihaan from me."
Betalini's laughter echoed through the hall, cruel and shrill. "And how will you stop me, mortal? With your faith? Your tears? Or your fragile little heart?"
She opened her mouth wide, revealing razor-sharp fangs. A chilling scream ripped out of her throat, a sound so piercing it rattled the chandeliers and made the very walls tremble.
The Kotharis clutched their ears in agony, cries of pain filling the mansion. Dadi and Shyom staggered,Urvashi and Veena fell to their knees, and Raani clung desperately to Sharda. Even Yug and Charvi winced, trying to shield themselves.
Gauri staggered back as the force of the scream hit her like a storm. Her hands pressed against her ears, her body trembling, yet she refused to fall. Still, the wave of sound lifted her off her feet, throwing her back across the marble floor. She crashed down heavily, the air leaving her lungs as the family cried out her name.
"GAURI!"
Betalini tilted her head back and laughed, her voice triumphant. "This is the strength of a Bat Demoness, little girl. Did you truly think you could challenge me?"
Vihaan watched silently from his throne, his eyes fixed on Gauri, an unreadable flicker momentarily clouding the darkness in them.