At the Cave of Answers
The air inside the cave was thick with the scent of burnt herbs and ancient dust. Faint golden symbols glowed along the jagged walls, whispering long-forgotten secrets as Kesar stepped into the chamber, her palms trembling slightly.
A flickering flame hovered above the sacred pedestal — the Agni Jyot, the keeper of truth.
Kesar bowed before it, her heart heavy with questions that had haunted her since childhood. "Please," she murmured, voice breaking, "tell me… who am I? Who are my people?"
The flame flared suddenly, and images danced within it — fragments of lives intertwined by fate. A woman's gentle smile. A man's strong, protective arms. And then, a face… Gauri's face.
Kesar gasped, stumbling backward. "Gauri…" she whispered. "She's my… my twin sister?"
Tears welled in her eyes as the vision continued — Vedika and Dev standing beside Gauri and herself as infants, their laughter echoing faintly through the cavern before fading away.
Her lips quivered as she touched her heart. "I have a family…"
But before she could process the revelation, a low, mocking laugh filled the cave.
"Well, well," came the smooth, venomous voice. "The little flame-bird finally knows who she is."
Kesar turned sharply. Mohini — draped in her crimson robes — stepped from the shadows, her eyes glinting like molten embers.
Kesar's expression hardened. "Who are you and why are you here?"
Mohini smiled coldly. "I'm the greatest witch of all time Pralay daayan Manmohini and I have come here to give you a choice, my dear Agni Paanchi. You and I are not so different. Your powers — that burning energy within you — it's the same essence that fuels a daayan. Destruction, chaos, fire — it runs in your veins."
Kesar clenched her fists. "My powers are for protecting life, not destroying it."
"Naïve girl," Mohini sneered. "That's what they all say — until the world betrays them. Join me, Kesar. Come to the Daayan Lok. Together we can rule realms. You'll have everything — power, immortality, revenge."
Kesar's eyes blazed. "Revenge against whom? My sister?"
Mohini's smile widened, dark and cruel. "Yes. Kill Gauri — your precious twin. End her sanctimonious light and take her strength. Then you'll become what you were destined to be."
Kesar stepped back, shaking her head. "Never. Gauri is my blood. I will never harm her!"
Mohini's pleasant façade vanished, replaced by fury. "Then watch what defiance costs you!"
With a hiss, Mohini raised her hand — and the bird, Kesar's spiritual familiar, trapped within a ring of black fire, let out a heart-wrenching cry.
Kesar screamed, running toward it, but the flames consumed the creature before she could reach it. The air cracked with dark energy. Kesar fell to her knees, her strength draining away, her Agni Paanchi aura fading like dying embers.
Mohini watched coldly as Kesar gasped for breath. "Your purity disgusts me. But don't worry, my dear — I'll have my victory soon enough."
Her lips curled into a wicked smile. "On Vihaan's birthday… when Sarvansh awakens completely, my reign will begin."
The cave trembled as she disappeared in a swirl of smoke, leaving Kesar motionless on the floor, clutching her heart.
---
Back at the Kothari Mansion
The family gathered around the old courtyard well as Vihaan stood before them, his face serious. The morning sky had turned grey, as if sensing the weight of what was to come.
"This," he said quietly, "is where my Maan Kalash — the vessel that holds the last fragment of Sarvansh's pride — is hidden."
Yug frowned. "A well? This feels… familiar. Didn't Kamini once use a similar trap?"
Vihaan nodded grimly. "Yes. Mohini learned from her mistakes."
Gauri's eyes hardened with determination. "Then this time, we will end it."
She stepped forward, her saree brushing against the damp stone.
Vihaan turned sharply. "Gauri, no. If you go down there and fail, I'll lose you — and I can't risk Sarvansh awakening again because of me."
Gauri smiled softly and cupped his face. "You won't lose me. You're my everything, Vihaan — in every form. I trust you. Now trust me."
He looked at her — torn, terrified, but unable to stop her.
She turned toward the well, closing her eyes. "Bholenath," she whispered, folding her hands. "Protect me, protect him… and end this darkness once and for all."
And with a single, fearless leap, Gauri plunged into the well — the rippling water swallowing her whole as Vihaan shouted her name.