Inside the shadowed recesses of Vihaan's mind, Sarvansh's eyes blazed with frustration as he saw Vihaan smiling softly.
"Why are you smiling?" Sarvansh snapped, voice tight with irritation. "Are you… enjoying this?"
Vihaan leaned closer, calm, almost teasing. "Yes," he said, poking Sarvansh's chest lightly, right over the heart. "We are enjoying this."
Sarvansh's jaw tightened. "You can't… this is not the time for… for foolishness!"
Vihaan shook his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Foolishness? Or truth? You feel it, don't you? That pull—toward her."
Sarvansh's eyes widened, anger mixing with confusion. "I… I don't—"
"Stop lying to yourself," Vihaan whispered, voice softening, coaxing, almost intimate. "You love her, Sarvansh. You love Gauri."
Sarvansh recoiled at the truth buried deep in his chest, yet it resonated, undeniable and fierce. "I… I do? No… no, this can't—"
A cold, spectral whisper sliced through his thoughts. "Love is weakness. Power is eternal. She is a distraction. Remember your purpose… your destiny."
Sarvansh froze. Mohini's ghostly form hovered before him, eyes gleaming with malice. "Power is above all," the vision hissed. "Desire, affection… it will destroy you. You are meant to rule, not to falter."
Vihaan's voice cut through, sharper now, teasing yet insistent. "You love her, Sarvansh! Admit it! Don't push it away."
Sarvansh's fists clenched. "I… I can't. I can't let her distract me… I am meant for more… I am meant for—"
"You're human," Vihaan interrupted softly, almost tenderly. "You feel, you love. It doesn't make you weak—it makes you alive."
The words echoed in the dark corners of his mind, battling Mohini's poisonous whispers. The tug-of-war tore at him, desire and duty clashing violently inside. Finally, he swallowed, taking a sharp, shuddering breath.
---
He woke to the soft patter of rain. Gauri lay asleep against him, warm and peaceful, unaware of the storm of emotions raging inside him. His body, shirtless and damp, bore the evidence of their passion; his trousers remained partially undone.
Sarvansh's gaze softened briefly before hardening with resolve. He gently removed Gauri's hand from his chest, careful not to wake her. Slowly, he buttoned his shirt, zipped his trousers, and slipped silently out of the shed.
The rain fell in torrents, the world around him echoing the chaos inside. Somewhere nearby, the jal mani waited, calling him, and Sarvansh knew he had to follow—but the memory of Gauri, and the love he could not fully deny, burned in his chest.
The first light of dawn filtered weakly through the dense jungle, the world quiet except for the soft rustle of leaves underfoot. Vihaan's eyes, sharp and relentless, caught the faint glow of the jal mani, lying on the wet grass as if waiting for him. His chest heaved—not from exertion, but from the dark hunger of a heart torn between love and power.
Gauri came running, her breath ragged, feet slipping on the soaked earth. "Vihaan!" she called, voice shaking with desperation and fear. "Stop! Don't—"
He didn't hear her—not truly. As he reached for the mani, a violent surge of electricity shot from it, arcing across his body. Pain exploded through him, muscles spasming, and he crumpled to the ground. Rain pelted them both, drenching him, but Gauri barely registered the storm; her hands shook as she reached toward him. "Vihaan! Please! Stay with me!"
Hours later, the morning sun shone weakly through the windows of the Kothari mansion. Vihaan woke, bruised and scorched, body aching in every fiber, yet his eyes burned with cold determination. Memory was fragmented—painful flashes of the previous night flickered like broken shards.
"Where's the mani?!" he demanded, voice sharp, tinged with both anger and desperation. His gaze swept across Gauri and the family. "Give it to me… or—"
Gauri stepped forward, her voice trembling but firm. "No, Vihaan! I won't give it to you. Not now. Not ever. If you want it, you'll have to face me. A final showdown. And I won't back down!"
The room fell into a fragile silence—then Veena moved. Her hands shook as she lifted a small box from the floor, the real mani gleaming in the dim light. "Take it… Vihaan," she whispered, voice barely audible.
Vihaan's eyes flickered with a cold light. With a snap of his fingers, the haze around Veena cleared. Her mind had been under his control all along. "Thank you, Mom," he said quietly, the hint of a smile cold and unfeeling. Veena blinked, horror dawning as she realized she had been hypnotized.
From the shadows, Mohini's laughter slipped through, low and triumphant. "It begins," she murmured, voice full of malice. "The Sarvansh will rise fully. He will destroy his family… his own blood."
Vihaan's gaze hardened, his voice ice-cold. "The final phase begins. To become Sarvansh… I must sacrifice everything I love. No one can stop me—not even my family."
Gauri's voice broke as she stepped forward, tears streaming down her face. "Vihaan… please! You're not this! You don't have to do this! You're still Vihaan!"
But one by one, the family began to falter. Yug's knees buckled, and he collapsed, unconscious. Urvashi and Shyom fell next, a silent scream trapped in their throat. Veena's hands shook as she crumpled to the floor. Sharda tried to steady herself, but her body betrayed her just as it did with Dadi. Gauri's sobs echoed through the hall, mixing with the howling wind outside, as Vihaan stood above them, unmoving, cold, unstoppable.
Outside, the sky had turned a deep, bloody red, clouds swirling like spilled ink, reflecting the chaos and heartbreak inside. The jal mani gleamed in the box in Vihaan's hands, its light a cruel mirror of the love and power warring within him. The family's fate hung in the balance, fragile as glass, while the weight of betrayal, fear, and sorrow pressed down like the storm above.