At the Raizada Villa
The car came to a halt at the gates of the mansion.
The driver stepped out first and opened the door. Bani Dadi got down slowly, still visibly shaken, her movements careful after everything she had endured at the temple.
The front door opened immediately.
"Mummy ji!"
Vedshree rushed forward, reaching her first. Her hands held Bani Dadi's arms firmly, her eyes scanning her face in panic.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her effort to stay composed. "Where is Arnav?"
Bani Dadi placed her hand gently over Vedshree's, offering reassurance.
"I'm fine, my child," she said softly. "Arnav is fine too. He's gone to drop a very sweet girl home—the one who helped me at the temple."
Instead of relief, Vedshree's expression darkened.
Bani Dadi noticed at once. "What is it?" she asked, concern sharpening her voice. "Why do you look so frightened?"
Before Vedshree could answer, Suman stepped closer. Her voice was low, controlled—but heavy with fear.
"Maa ji… Arnav is in danger."
Bani Dadi stiffened. Her fingers tightened around her walking stick.
"What kind of danger?" she asked slowly.
Vedshree swallowed hard, tears gathering in her eyes.
"The kind we prayed would never return," she said. "The evil eye has come back. And it is upon Arnav."
For a long moment, Bani Dadi didn't speak.
Then her hand moved to her chest.
"My God…" she whispered. "After all these years…"
Suman nodded, the words spilling out now.
"We've seen the signs, Maa ji. All of them. Blood from Arnav's photograph. The clock running backward. The black crow."
Bani Dadi closed her eyes, each sign striking her like a remembered nightmare. When she opened them again, fear was there—but beneath it, resolve.
"So the time has come," she said quietly.
Vedshree looked at her, barely holding herself together. "Maa ji…"
"Call him," Bani Dadi said firmly. "Immediately. He must come home."
Vedshree nodded, already pulling out her phone, her hands shaking.
Far away, on the open road, Arnav rode on—unaware that the darkness had begun to circle him once more.
And inside the Raizada Villa, the air grew heavy with a dread the family knew far too well.
Outside the Chawl
The scooter came to a gentle stop outside the narrow lane of the chawl.
Arnav switched off the engine and stepped aside, steadying the scooter as Pranati carefully got down. Her ankle still protested, but she hid the pain well, straightening as if it were nothing new to her.
"Thank you," she said sincerely. "You really didn't have to go out of your way."
Arnav shrugged lightly. "You were injured. It was the decent thing to do."
She smiled—warm, unguarded—and adjusted the strap of her bag.
"I'm Pranati Kaur," she said, extending her hand. "Owner of Pranati Kaur Home Delivery—also known as PKHD."
Arnav looked at her hand for a second before taking it.
"Arnav Singh Raizada."
Their hands met.
A firm handshake. Brief. Ordinary.
Unnoticed.
Somewhere behind them, at the edge of the lane, a ribbon of black fog slithered forward—silent, hungry, stretching toward Arnav like a living shadow.
The moment their palms touched, the fog recoiled.
It hissed softly, twisting in on itself as if burned by something unseen. Within seconds, it dissolved into nothingness—scattered by an invisible force neither of them felt, neither of them saw.
Pranati smiled wider.
"Nice to meet you… ASR," she said easily, shortening his name without hesitation.
Something about the way she said it made Arnav pause.
"ASR?" he repeated.
She tilted her head. "Short for your name. It suits you."
For a fleeting moment, he forgot to reply.
Then he nodded. "Yeah… I guess it does."
She picked up her helmet and turned toward the chawl. After a step, she stopped and glanced back.
"Get home safely," she said.
Arnav watched her walk away, limping slightly but refusing to slow down.
He didn't know why he stayed there for a few extra seconds after she disappeared inside.
He also didn't know that, for the first time in years, the darkness that followed him had failed to cross his path.
To be continued