Gauri's eyes fluttered open, her head throbbing. She slowly sat up, realizing she was lying on the damp ground of a jungle clearing. The night was eerily silent—until a low growl echoed from the darkness.
Her heart pounded. She spun around, searching the shadows. "Who's there…?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Suddenly, a tap on her shoulder made her flinch. She whirled around—only to find Dhruv standing behind her.
Relief washed over her. "Dhruv! You scared me…" she exhaled.
"Are you alright?" Dhruv asked calmly, his face unreadable.
"Yes… I—I think so," Gauri replied, brushing dirt from her clothes. "I was at the mansion… someone grabbed me, and then I blacked out. I don't even know how I got here."
Dhruv extended his hand. "Come with me. You'll be safe."
She almost reached for his hand, but then something tugged at her instincts. Her gaze sharpened. Why was he here?
"Wait." Gauri pulled her hand back, suspicion filling her eyes. "Dhruv… what are you doing in the middle of a jungle at this hour?"
Dhruv blinked, his lips curving into a too-perfect smile. "I was… just taking a stroll."
"A stroll?" Gauri's voice hardened. "In this darkness? In the middle of nowhere?" She took a step back, her breathing quickening. "It was you, wasn't it? You kidnapped me."
Dhruv's smile slowly widened into something sinister. "So smart, yet too late, Gauri." His voice dropped lower, darker. "Yes. I brought you here. I was going to take you even further… and kill you in front of my queen."
Gauri froze, her eyes wide. "Q–queen?"
"Yes." Dhruv's tone dripped with reverence as his eyes gleamed unnaturally. "My queen… Kamini."
"Kamini?!" Gauri gasped, stumbling back.
Before her horrified eyes, Dhruv's form began to twist and change—his features contorting, his skin darkening into scales, two sharp horns bursting forth as claws stretched from his hands. The man she once called her best friend was gone.
In his place stood the monstrous Vish Purush, his growl rattling the trees around them.
Gauri's breath hitched, terror coursing through her veins as she whispered, "Dhruv…?"
The creature smirked cruelly. "No, Gauri. Not anymore."
Gauri staggered back, her chest tightening. "You… you're not Dhruv," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Where is the real Dhruv?"
The Vish Purush's monstrous grin widened. His claws gleamed in the moonlight as he leaned closer.
"Your dear best friend?" he said mockingly. "I tore him apart on his way from the airport. His screams fed my soul… his memories became mine. That's how I slipped into your lives so easily."
Gauri froze, her breath hitching as the monster's words sank in.
"You… killed Dhruv?" her voice cracked, barely a whisper. Her eyes brimmed with tears, her body trembling as she stumbled back.
The Vish Purush's lips curled into a sinister smile, his form shifting fully monstrous — horns twisting upward, claws glinting sharp.
"His life was mine to take," he growled, his voice echoing like stone grinding against stone. "His memories… his face… all mine. And through him, I walked into your world."
Gauri's knees weakened, her heart hammering painfully. "Why… why are you doing this?" she stammered, her words breaking with sobs.
The beast stepped closer, each thud of his feet sinking into the earth. "Because my queen wills it," he snarled, his glowing eyes locking onto her. "You… must die."
Gauri shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face. Her voice quivered, almost childlike in fear. "Please… please don't hurt me…"
The Vish Purush only let out a guttural laugh, his breath hot and foul as he loomed over her. "Your pleas are useless, girl. The blood moon is near… and before it rises, you will take your last breath."
Gauri gasped sharply, instinctively backing against a tree, her hands clutching at the bark for support as the monster advanced.
The Vish Purush raised one clawed hand, his nails elongating into sharp, glistening darts dripping with green poison. With a sudden jerk of his wrist, he hurled them toward Gauri.
Gauri's eyes widened in terror, but instinct surged through her — she dropped low, twisting to the ground just in time. The poisonous nails slashed through the air above her, embedding into the tree trunk with a hiss that made the bark sizzle and smoke.
Her breath caught, and without a second thought, she scrambled to her feet and bolted through the undergrowth, branches tearing at her arms as her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
But before she could take more than a few steps, a monstrous thud shook the ground.
The Vish Purush had leapt high, landing squarely in front of her with terrifying speed. His claws dug into the soil as he blocked her path, his hulking frame cutting off any hope of escape.
With a violent sweep of his arm, he struck her chest. Gauri cried out as the force hurled her backward. She hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of her lungs, pain radiating through her body.
Gasping, she tried to push herself up, her hands trembling in the dirt. Her terrified eyes met the monster's as he loomed over her, fangs glinting under the moonlight.
"Run all you want," he growled, stepping closer, "but there's no escape from me."