The Raizada mansion had not known such silence before.
Rajeev's sudden, inexplicable death had hollowed the halls. The laughter that once echoed through corridors was gone, replaced by whispers and cautious footsteps. Even the servants moved with measured steps, afraid to disturb the mourning family. Bani Dadi sat in the prayer room, eyes red, lips moving silently in chants that seemed to do nothing against the shadow that had settled over them.
Vedshree had tried to maintain composure for her husband Vanraj, for the children, and for Suman, but the unease had grown too heavy to bear. Something about Mohana felt… wrong. Every smile, every gesture, even the way she moved through the house—it all left a strange weight behind her, a feeling Vedshree could not ignore.
Late one evening, after everyone had retired, Vedshree found Suman in the drawing room, her face pale and drawn.
"Suman… I can't stop thinking about it," Vedshree said quietly, lowering herself onto the sofa beside her. "Ever since Rajeev came back with her… and now… after his death… something is wrong. I've seen things—small things, but enough. Lamps blacken without reason. Flowers in the courtyard, fresh yesterday, wilted today. And Mohana… she disappears at night. Always at night. I don't know where she goes."
Suman looked at her, unease curling in her stomach. "Do you… suspect her?"
Vedshree hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "I don't want to believe it. But I've lived long enough to see patterns. The night is telling us something, and she walks in it freely."
Suman's hands shook slightly. "Then… what do we do? How can we know the truth without making everything worse?"
Vedshree leaned back, her gaze distant, almost as if recalling another life. "There are humans, Suman, who have fought against women like her for centuries. Not in stories, not in legends told to frighten children, but in real, brutal history. Families chosen and blessed to protect humans from witches and daayans. They are called the Reevavanshis."
Suman's brow furrowed. "Reeva… what?"
"The Reevavanshis," Vedshree continued, voice steady but low, "were ordinary people long ago, but they were given sacred weapons and trained in ways beyond normal learning. They could sense darkness where others could not. They could fight witches, bind them, contain their magic. Generations of them have passed this knowledge down—blessing certain families, preparing for times like this, when evil walks disguised as human. They hunt carefully, silently, always protecting those who can't see."
Suman's eyes widened. "And… you know some of them?"
Vedshree nodded. "Yes. My friend Divya Sharma and her husband Avinash. They are among the last trained Reevavanshis. If anyone can help us understand what Mohana is doing… if anyone can teach us how to stop her… it's them. But it will not be simple. Witches like Mohana are clever. They can twist loyalty, charm hearts, hide the truth in plain sight. If we fail to act, this family… we could lose everything."
Suman's hand gripped Vedshree's. "Then we find them. Tonight. Before she can do more."
Vedshree's gaze hardened. "Yes. We have no choice now."
Outside, the mansion stood silent, mourning. But the night was not empty. Somewhere beyond the windows, unseen, Mohana moved, calm, deliberate. And the Raizada family—shaken, vulnerable—was about to awaken to dangers they could not yet name.
The night air was heavy as Vedshree and Suman made their way through the narrow lanes toward the Reevavanshi estate. The lamps along the roadside flickered, struggling against a sudden chill that made Vedshree pull her shawl tighter around her shoulders. Every step seemed louder than it should have been, every sound—an owl's call, the distant rumble of a cart—magnified in the silence.
Vedshree walked slightly ahead, her posture careful but resolute, while Suman followed with measured steps, her presence steady and calm. Vedshree had always respected Suman, her elder sister-in-law, and even now, the deference she felt ran deep, but the urgency of the night pressed her forward.
"Suman," Vedshree said softly, her voice carrying the weight of worry, "we cannot waste time. I know who can help us. Divya Sharma… and her husband, Avinash. They are Reevavanshis. They have the knowledge, the skill, and the courage to reveal what Mohana truly is."
To be continued…