Charvi and Yug trailed the glowing white bird deeper into the forest, its wings glimmering like shards of moonlight even under the harsh daylight. The path grew wilder, roots tangling under their feet, thorns scratching at their clothes, but the bird kept flying ahead as if it knew exactly where it was leading them.
"Charvi," Yug groaned dramatically, dragging his feet, "are we ever going to stop walking? At this point, I feel like the bird is training us for a marathon."
Charvi rolled her eyes, not slowing her steps. "You're the one complaining? I was the one who had a heart transplant, remember? Yet somehow, you're the one acting like an old man."
Yug's face lit up with mock offense. "Excuse me! This body is pure strength. Do you see these shoulders? This stamina? I could outlast you in anything—"
Before he could finish boasting, Charvi suddenly reached out, her fingers pressing firmly against his lips. Yug froze, his heart skipping a beat at her unexpected closeness. For a moment, the forest went silent except for the rush of his pulse in his ears. Their eyes locked—hers wide with warning, his caught between shock and something else he couldn't name.
Slowly, she lifted her other hand and pointed ahead.
Yug turned his head, and his eyes widened. Just a few steps in front of them, looming between the trees, was the gateway from Charvi's visions. Its massive stone arch pulsed with a faint, eerie glow, the air around it rippling like water. Strange markings ran across its surface, alive with an energy that seemed both ancient and dangerous.
The white bird perched on the top of the arch for a fleeting second before vanishing into thin air.
Charvi whispered, her voice trembling, "It's real… this is what I kept seeing."
Yug clenched his jaw, suddenly alert, the teasing in him gone. "Then this… isn't just a vision. It's a warning."
Charvi's eyes drifted downward, scanning the forest floor. "Yug… look at this," she whispered.
Yug crouched beside her, his brows furrowing. In the damp earth lay a massive footprint—deeper and wider than any normal creature's, the claw marks at its edge cutting deep into the soil. It radiated a sense of weight and power.
Yug tilted his head, trying to make light of it. "Uh… so… is this an elephant? Or maybe a T-rex escaped from a Jurassic Park reboot?"
Charvi shot him a look, clearly unimpressed. "None of the above."
She bent down, fingers trembling slightly as she reached toward the imprint. The moment her fingertips brushed the edge of the footprint, a searing flash of light shot through her mind—images flickering like a broken reel of film: a hulking figure emerging from a dark cave, horns glinting, claws dragging against stone, eyes burning with venom. The name echoed in her skull: Vish Purush.
Charvi gasped and recoiled, clutching her head.
"Charvi?!" Yug grabbed her shoulder, his joking tone gone. "What happened? What did you see?"
Her lips parted, voice unsteady. "A monster… some kind of monster. Huge. Horns, claws… eyes like poison. I don't know what it is, but it's coming."
Yug stood, scanning the trees around them as a chill crept down his spine. "We should head back. This is not good. Not good at all."
But Charvi straightened, her resolve sharpening. "No. If my visions brought us here, it's because this… thing… has something to do with your family. We need to know what's going on."
Yug blinked at her like she'd just lost her mind. "Are you seriously suggesting we follow its footprints? Charvi, this isn't a movie where the leads go traipsing after the monster and somehow live to tell the tale!"
Her gaze didn't waver. "It's important, Yug. If I've seen it, it means we're connected to it—you're connected to it. If we don't understand what's happening now, your family could be in danger."
For a heartbeat, Yug hesitated, looking from Charvi to the deep print in the earth, his instincts screaming to get out. But then he exhaled, shoulders slumping. "You're impossible, you know that?"
Charvi's lips curved in a small, grim smile. "And yet you're still here."
Yug muttered under his breath, "Guess that makes me just as mad," before stepping beside her. "Fine. We follow the footprints. But if I see horns or claws, we're running. Deal?"
Charvi nodded once, determination glinting in her eyes as they both started forward, the forest suddenly quieter than before.
Evening settled over the Kothari mansion, the golden glow of lamps and fairy lights bathing the halls in a festive warmth. In her bridal attire, Raani sat before the mirror, her lehenga shimmering with delicate embroidery, her eyes lined with a mix of excitement and nervousness.
Urvashi entered quietly, her steps soft, but her gaze lingering on her daughter for a long, tender moment. For an instant, she didn't see the bride before her—she saw the little girl who once clung to her hand, who used to run across the garden with braids flying behind her.
Raani smiled faintly at her reflection. "Ma… are you crying already? I haven't even left yet."
Urvashi chuckled softly, dabbing her eyes with her dupatta as she walked closer. "How can I not, beti? Just yesterday you were that tiny girl who refused to go to school without your doll, and today you're dressed as a bride. Time has been cruel to me—it has stolen my little girl so quickly."
Raani turned, holding her mother's hands. "Ma, I'll always be your little girl."
Urvashi sat beside her, gently adjusting the dupatta over Raani's head. Her voice softened into seriousness. "Marriage is beautiful, Raani, but it is also delicate. There will be days of joy, and days when you'll feel you don't understand each other at all. In those moments, remember—relationships are not about winning or losing. They're about holding on, even when it feels easier to let go."
Raani blinked back tears, her heart swelling. "You and Papa always made it look so easy…"
Urvashi smiled with a bittersweet glint in her eyes. "It was never easy. But love, trust, and patience—they make the impossible bearable. Promise me, you will treat your new home as your own, and your husband as your partner, not your rival."
Raani nodded, her voice trembling. "I promise, Ma."
For a moment, silence hung between them, filled only with the distant sound of laughter and music from the sangeet preparations. Urvashi leaned forward, kissing Raani's forehead, whispering, "You are my pride, my blessing, Raani. And tonight, you will start your own story. But remember—you will always have a home here."
Raani wrapped her arms around her mother, the two of them holding each other tightly, unwilling to let go.