Far away, beyond the forest, the waterfall cascaded in silver threads under the moonlight. The night was still, almost unnaturally so, as if the world itself dared not breathe.
In the trembling surface of the water, Mohana's reflection appeared—pale, spectral, her eyes wide and sharp. Her body beneath the reflection was rigid, petrified, as though frozen by the same fear and anger that twisted her face.
The air around the waterfall seemed heavy, charged with an invisible weight, and her voice emerged, low, deliberate, each word measured like a curse:
"Arnav…" The name trembled at first, then cut sharply through the night. "…my son. My own Daavansh."
The reflection wavered, a cruel reminder of the dark bond between mother and child. "…he killed my daayans. Every last one. Every loyal servant I entrusted to him… destroyed by my own son."
Her lips pressed tight. The water rippled unnaturally, trembling with the force of her fury. "…and yet… I am petrified. Petrified because he grows stronger, faster, beyond what I anticipated. The child I bore… now stands against me."
A droplet slid down the smooth stone of the waterfall, echoing like a heartbeat in the silent night. The reflection's eyes glimmered with cold calculation.
"I will send them… a combination. Deadlier. Unforgiving. Ones that will pierce through his control, test the limits of his strength… and remind him…"
Her voice faltered slightly, betraying that flicker of fear she tries to hide. "Remind him that he is my son… but he is not untouchable."
The waterfall fell back into silence, the threat lingering in the night air, heavy, inescapable, and filled with dark irony: the Daavansh she bore now defies her, and Mohana's own hands tremble with the knowledge that her vengeance must be precise, or it will fail.
---
The chawl was quiet, the hum of the city muted against the walls of Pranati's small home. She paced back and forth, her footsteps echoing softly on the worn tiles.
First, the tremor at the temple—the earth itself seeming to shiver beneath her feet. Then, the chaos at sea, the yacht rocking violently, waves clawing at its hull like something alive. Each memory played in her mind, one after the other, relentless.
She stopped by the window, hands pressed against the cool glass, staring out at the still night. The breeze carried nothing but the faint scent of distant traffic and the occasional hint of jasmine.
Am I overthinking? she wondered. The rational part of her mind whispered that it had to be coincidence. But every instinct in her body screamed otherwise.
Her fingers clenched, then released. "I hope…" she murmured to herself, voice barely audible, "I hope I won't have to face anything like that again."
For a long moment, she just stood there, breathing in and out, trying to convince herself that the night was over, that the world had returned to ordinary. But the shadows in the corners of the room seemed a little too still, a little too watchful.
Pranati shook her head and forced a small, wry smile. "Maybe tomorrow will be just… normal."
Yet even as she said it, a flicker of unease ran down her spine.
---
The car pulled into the driveway, tires crunching softly on the gravel. Arnav killed the engine before the others could even speak.
"Whatever happened out there," he said quietly, glancing at Ranav and Arav, "no one can know. Especially Mom."
Ranav and Arav exchanged a glance. The adrenaline still clung to them like a second skin, their bodies tense from the chaos they'd witnessed.
"Understood," Ranav muttered, nodding.
"Got it," Arav added, trying to sound casual, though his hands trembled slightly as he unbuckled his seatbelt.
They stepped inside, shoes quiet against the polished floor. Vedshree appeared at the top of the stairs, her hair slightly mussed, eyes still heavy with sleep. "You boys are back already? I thought you'd be spending the night at the party," she asked, voice warm but curious.
Arnav immediately masked his tension with a casual shrug. "Yeah… um, the party ended early. Thought we'd come home."
Ranav cleared his throat, glancing at Arnav before adding, "It… got kind of boring, actually. Not much happening, so we decided to head back."
Arav nodded vigorously. "Plus, the roads were, uh… weird. Rain maybe? Or traffic? Something."
Vedshree raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but the boys' nervous energy and Arnav's composed presence made her let it slide. "Hmm… alright. But no trouble while I'm asleep, okay?"
The trio nodded in unison, settling into the living room. Arnav's eyes lingered on the staircase for a moment, a silent reminder of the storm and the danger that had just brushed past them.
No one could know. Not yet.
To be continued...