"I'm not able to shapeshift" Mahima panicked as she tried to transform once again but failed in her attempt.
"Why isn't she able to transform, I thought she received the Lord's blessing" Ashlesha questioned the priest as she worried about Mahima's inability to assume her true form.
Mr. Kailash who appeared to ponder upon it as if in deep thought then replied with regret, "It's true that she has been blessed however owing to the demerit she earned by killing a person irrespective of the circumstances it seems to have delayed or rather blocked the return of her powers"
"How will she fulfill her vow of avenging our clan without her powers? She needs her powers to retrieve the gem and ascend the throne, there has to be a way for her to reclaim her powers" Ashlesha urged the priest.
"There is a way...." Mr. Kailash trailed before he could reveal anything further
"What is it?" Ashlesha stared at him waiting for an answer
"What's matter pandit ji? Why did you trail off?" Mahima asked him wondering why he seemed quite hesitant to respond to them
"I need to speak to the Naagmaya regarding this in private first" the priest requested to which Mahima agreed
Ashlesha then ordered all the serpents to disperse from the ground along with Mahima who just walked away and waited at a distance.
Once everyone left Mr. Kailash informed Ashlesha that Mahima would have to make the ultimate selfless sacrifice to clear out the demerit she earned.
"What sacrifice? She has already sacrificed a lot for our sake, what is she expected to give up this time? Wasn't being barred from entering Naaglok and living as a vulnerable human all these years enough?" Ashlesha asked him
"It would have been enough provided she had completed her penance without any disruption or mistake, and here killing a person was a big mistake" Mr. Kailash explained
"Yes it was a mistake indeed but one which was made to save a life, if anyone were to make the sacrifice then it should be me" Ashlesha argued
"It doesn't work that way, whatever the reason may be, the one who erred alone is liable to atone for the same" the priest told her
"And how is she supposed to do that?" Ashlesha asked
"Like I said, the sacrifice she makes has to be a selfless act, it could be anything so I can't really be specific about it." The priest explained
"If it could be anything, then perhaps it may take her years or more to get her powers back" Ashlesha complained
"Perhaps you should have been a little patient while on your quest for revenge, you're the naagmaya, after the naagrani you are the one who is responsible for leading the naga clan
and ensuring its protection, besides this mentoring the naagrajkumari in the absence of the queen is also a part of your role, how you act will impact us all" the priest reminded her in a stern yet admonishing tone.
"So what now? What do I tell her?" Ashlesha asked him
"If God wills, then they would lead her to it, what you tell her is up to you" with that Mr. Kailash walked away
An upset Ashlesha then walked towards the forest where Mahima waited for her alone by herself as she excused the other serpents and allowed them to leave.
"What did he say?" Mahima asked
"He said that the ultimate yet selfless sacrifice is what it would cost to clear your demerit, but he wasn't specific regarding that" Ashlesha told her
"I'll do it-" Mahima was cut off
"I know you would, but we are yet to figure out what that would be" Ashlesha pointed
"So what now?" Mahima wondered as she asked
"For now let's just focus on the wedding, so go home and get enough rest" Ashlesha adviced following which they both leave.
........................................................................................................................................................
"I feel you should reconsider your decision, there's still time we can speak to Srishti's parents and proceed with a simple wedding instead" Shipra urged her son
"Mom Srishti herself doesn't agree to this wedding as she conveyed earlier and neither do I, so please drop it" Lakshya upset with his mother's futile attempt to convince him snapped at her and then requested her to put an end to the discussion, "the truth is I'm not really ready nor am I willing. I only said yes earlier because I felt pressured into it" with that Shipra gave in as she watched him walk away from the living room and headed outside where he ran into Adish.
"I was looking for you" Adish told Lakshya requesting him to visit surveillance control room to which the latter agreed and headed straight towards the same. Upon entering the place Adish asked the control room in charge to step outside following which he pulls out a chair and sits down as he held onto the mouse which he used to close the live footage window and open the folder where all the previous recordings were stored among which he opened the file relating to the sangeet night and asked Lakshya to pay a close attention to the same.
"What exactly am I looking for?" Lakshya asked in a state of confusion
Adish then pointed at the screen where it can be seen that Shashi was leaving the mansion along with an unidentified woman in a car.
"Do you know her?" Adish asked
"No, but why did tau ji leave with her that even in a haste?" Lakshya wondered
A while later Adish then switched to the surveillance footage of the lawn area where the sangeet function was organised and to Lakshya's shock Shashi was seen to be present at the function even after he was spotted leaving a moment ago.
"How is this possible?" Lakshya was confused yet disturbed at the same time
"It's possible when shapeshifters are involved, the one inside is definitely a fake but that's not all to it" Adish told him
"There's more?" Lakshya asked
"Yes" with that Adish clicked to rewind the footage to that of 10 minutes earlier where Abhay is seen leaving from the crowd right before the fake shashi appeared and later forwarded the same to the point where he returned along with the fake Shashi's disappearance.
"As you can see your brother and the fake could not be spotted together" Adish pointed
"It could be coincidence, what are you trying to prove? That he is a shapeshifter?" Lakshya refuted
"Maybe he isn't your brother to begin with" Adish suggested
"What makes you believe that" Lakshya asked him in disbelief
"You could say it's a hunch but besides that I felt something strange when I brushed past him during your rehearsals" Adish answered
"Maybe you're just overthinking, if that person were an imposter I would have known" Lakshya argued
"Trust me, these shapeshifters are really good at impersonations, you wouldn't realise it even if you were near one" Adish enlightened him
"Either way, I don't think that's the case here" Lakshya asserted once again
"As you wish, but don't complain I didn't tell you about this later" Adish then closed the surveillance footage and stood up "we'll need to look for this woman"
"I agree, it's likely that she is behind the murder" Lakshya concluded
........................................................................................................................................................
Abhay was in the kitchen where he picked an empty glass and filled the same with water from the dispenser next to the refrigerator to quench his thirst. Ashlesha entered the kitchen at the same time and walked right up to where he stood pretending to open the refrigerator and look for something inside as she bent down.
"We need to talk" She whispered to him
"Now?" Abhay asked in a hushed manner to avoid getting noticed by the kitchen staff
"Come to my room in a while" Ashlesha instructed him to which he agreed as she closed the refrigerator and walked away from the kitchen.
He steps out of the kitchen right away and heads outside the house where he assumed his serpent form allowing him to slither his way through the pipeline leading to Ashlesha's room from the open window.
As soon as he made it inside the serpent reverted back to being a human while assuming his true identity.
Ashlesha then immediately shut the window and pulled the curtains across to cover the same.
"We have a problem" Ashlesha uttered before the serpent Prince.
"What is it exactly?" Vikram narrowed his eyes in anticipation
"Mahima didn't get her powers back" Ashlesha informed him
"Then how are we going to get married tomorrow? An icchaadhaari naag can only wed another full fledged icchaadhari naagin as ordained by the law of the entire naga clan and what exactly happened that she was unable to reclaim her powers?" Vikram asked as he was irked by the news delivered
"It's all my fault, I shouldn't have rushed our plan to get rid of that person had we done that then she wouldn't have end up having to kill him in order to save me" Ashlesha explained regretting her error of judgement
"Well there no use of crying over spilled milk, what do we do now?" He asked
"We'll proceed with wedding as planned" Ashlesha told him
"But how is that possible? My father would object to it and so would the entire Naga clan" Vikram pointed
"I will speak to Nagraj Bhujang and convince him to make an exception as this alliance is very important to get the naagmani back to naaglok" Ashlesha reminded him
"But-" Vikram was cut off by Ashlesha who then asked, "What do you want? Are you not keen to marry Mahima, I thought you loved her?"
"I do, but I can wait a little longer as I've been waiting since the last 10 years" Vikram answered
"I know you can wait but time wouldn't do the same, what will you do if her powers never return? Would you still wait even then?" Ashlesha questioned him
"They would have to return eventually right?" Vikram asked
"Yes she would but we don't exactly know when and at the moment she is in a pretty vulnerable state, if any of our enemies besides these people learn about her identity she'd become an easy target for them without any of us around her, would you really want that?" Ashlesha asked
"No, ofcourse not!" Vikram answered
"That's why we need to leave to pay your father a visit right now" Ashlesha told him to which he agreed, "Okay then"
Ashlesha then pulls the curtain towards the side and leaves the window open slightly following which they assume they transform into serpents and slither outside.
........................................................................................................................................................
Srishti rummaged through her entire room as she began to pick out the stuff that reminded her of the time she spent with Lakshya including the gifts she had received from him before and after the engagement.
As she began to collect them all and place the same in a carton which she intended to store away in the basement she began to walk down the memory Lane reminiscing the time she spent with Lakshya when he was still attending his final year at the same college.
It was her first day in college when a couple of the second year students tried to bully Srishti over her unflattering appearance by misleading her into the gents restroom and locking her inside. As she tried her best to get including crying out for help one of the cubicles which was occupied unlocks and a guy emerges out of the same. That was her first yet embarrassing encounter with Lakshya who tried to calm her down.
"Listen, I can get us out so don't worry. I know they're trying to rag you but this is a bit too much, so I'll call the principal right away" he told her
"No don't do that, if the principal finds out then so will everyone else and that would be really embarrassing" Srishti requested him
"Alright I guess it can't be helped" Lakshya then walked up to the high window and picked up a long but thin iron stick that was placed at the sill which he the pushed through the horizontal gaps at the lower end of the door to push forward the drop down door latch to undo the same and open the door from inside following which he checked to see if there was anyone around and when he was sure that there wasn't they step out and leave.
That encounter left her impressed with him which later developed into a one sided love as she kept running into him throughout her first year owing to Abhay being her batchmate.
She was extremely elated when her father revealed that he had partnered with the Singh's over their latest project project and was over the moon when she received a proposal to marry Lakshya.
However now that she realised that he didn't feel the same owing to his eagerness to call off the wedding she decided to move on albeit still a bit too upset about the same.
(Imagine this song as she goes through all the stuff that reminded her of the time she spent with Lakshya before breaking up)
Once Srishti was done she shuts the carton and seals the same with duct tape, she then sits down on the bedside facing the window and pulled out the engagement ring off her ring finger. As she stared at it recalling her engagement day tears rolled down her cheeks even she tried her best to contain her grief. She then felt a hand placed on her shoulder and turned back to find Shreya right behind who had come to console her over the same.
"I know it must be difficult right now but look at the bright side, at least you didn't end up with a person who doesn't put you first" Shreya tried to comfort her as she embraced Srishti
"You're right but it still hurts" Srishti cried
"Ofcourse it will, he was your first love after all, but cheer up he definitely isn't your last and I'll make sure about that" Shreya told her as Srishti gave her a smile.
"That's more like it, I like you better when you're smiling" Shreya commented.
........................................................................................................................................................
Ashlesha and Vikram slithered inside the Karkotak clan's Royal Court and reverted back to their human form in order to greet the serpent King.
"Greetings Nagraj Bhujang" Ashlesha stood up followed by Vikram who rose up as well.
"I know why you're here, I heard about what happened during the veneration the previous night" Bhujang told them
"But I'm afraid I can't agree to it, the wedding will need to be postponed" he continued
"The wedding can't be postponed" Ashlesha opposed as she took her step forward towards the king in an agitated manner.
"I agree with Ashlesha, delaying it doesn't sound wise moreover it could leave her in a vulnerable situation, if you have found out then it's possible the others might have too" Vikram pleaded to his father.
"You know the law laid down by the ancestors of naaglok, only full fledged icchaadhari serpents can get married and Mahima has still not regained her powers therefore she doesn't qualify to marry you yet" Bhujang asserted his disapproval.
"She isn't just anyone, it's the Nagrajkumari of the Sheshnaag clan and the future Nagrani of the entire naaglok. If you reject her now owing to her current state then you may never see her as your daughter in law" Ashlesha argued.
"And I refuse to let that happen" Vikram told his father
"With all due respect, will you take the responsibility if anything were to go wrong Naagmaya?" Bhujang asked Ashlesha who hesitated for a while and took a deep breath before answering, "Yes I will"
"Your hesitance in answering the same makes me believe otherwise therefore I will not allow it" Bhujang declared
"But-" Vikram got cut off
"Years ago the former Naagrani of the Sheshnaag clan made the same mistake, Even though Mahima's condition is temporary she is no different from a human at the moment and marrying her would result in severe consequences for not just you alone but everyone of us here as well. Such marriages are doomed to fail anyways, which is why I cannot allow this" Bhujang stood his ground and dismissed them from the court
"You may leave" following which they assume their serpent forms and slither away outside into the forest where they stop midway and revert back to their human selves.
"What now? He just didn't agree" Vikram asked
"What do you want to do Vikram?" Ashlesha looked at him
"You know it already" he answered
"Then we'll go ahead as planned with or without your father's approval" Ashlesha told him
"But Mahima may not agree to this herself if she were to know that my father is against the wedding" Vikram pointed
"Then we won't tell her about it, she doesn't need to know" Ashlesha concluded
"Are you sure about that?" Vikram asked
"I'm not just her mentor, but also her guardian. So yes I'm sure about this and that she would understand the reason for the same" Ashlesha explained following which they transform back into serpents and return to the Singh mansion.
........................................................................................................................................................
Mahima had just returned back home as she walked in through the main gate and ringed the doorbell where she waited at the porch.
Arvind opened the door and let her inside who then walked towards the sofa and sat down on the same as she sighed out of frustration.
Arvind who noticed something was off asked her about it, "You look pretty low today, did something happen?"
Mahima couldn't disclose the actual reason being her failing to reclaim her powers as she did not want Arvind who were were human to get involved into Naaglok's internal affairs.
It was around when she had just been barred from entering Naaglok as a result of having surrendered her powers that she came across Arvind who was going through a rough patch of his own. He had lost his wife and daughter in a car accident a year back and was struggling with the same for quite a while until his car met with a similar accident in a bid to avoid a truck from the opposite direction.
When he woke up Arvind found himself in a hospital and was informed that a young girl had saved his life by calling for the ambulance using his cell phone on time and kept visiting him on a regularly until he regained consciousness.
When Arvind saw Mahima for the first time he was reminded of his own daughter who would have been around the same age as hers had she been still been alive. Upon learning about Mahima he approached the orphanage which sheltered her and proceeded to adopt the child and raise her as his own in a bid to cope with his bereavement.
"Nothing much apart from my client's wedding got called off, in short my efforts for the entire event have been in vain" Mahima sighed
"Why all of a sudden?" Arvind asked her
"One of their family members was found murdered two nights ago, even though the parents were keen on going ahead with a simple ceremony the bride and the groom decided against it at the end moment" Mahima told him
"I see, although I must say I didn't really expect them to be quite considerate given how most young people these days just don't seem to care" Arvind commented
"I guess so, but now I'll have to go there and oversee the decor and everything else being taken back early, so I won't really be able to stay home as you wanted " Mahima explained
"It's okay, it's your work so I understand but the-" Arvind was cut off
"The guests may not understand right" Mahima raised her concern
"I'll handle them. Did you manage to get a hold of Vikram?" Arvind asked her
The question caught her off guard, "Yes, I did. He's just a little held up with an important case" Mahima lied
"I see, well I hope he makes it on time tomorrow" Arvind expressed his concern.
"He may be a cop but not the kind to neglect his own loved ones" Mahima assured him
"That's true, I suggest you leave your worries behind and get some rest. You look quite tired for some reason" Arvind asked
"It's nothing, but you're right I'll just go and get some rest" Mahima answered
"Have your dinner before that" Arvind reminded her
"Sure" Mahima replied
Once Mahima was done with the dinner she headed to her room to retire for the night.
........................................................................................................................................................
The next day
Mahima was at the Singh mansion to oversee that all the decor and other arrangements made were being accounted for as they were being taken back by the crew.
As the decor was being undone and collected, Lakshya who was ready to leave and step out of the house overheard a crew member's conversation, "You shouldn't have come here, you're getting married today and as the bride you should be focussed on preparing yourself on your big day"
For some reason Lakshya felt a sinking feeling within his chest which he couldn't explain as he saw Mahima busy clearing away the wedding decor and then wondered if it had anything to with his frustration over the fact that he knew that she was going to ruin her life by marrying the wrong person who in this case was a serpent yet could not dissuade Mahima from calling off her wedding.
Knowing that there wasn't much he could do to make her reconsider her choice, he just walked away towards the open main door only to find Srishti entering the house with a large box in her hand.
"What brings you here and what's all this?" Lakshya asked Srishti confused over her sudden appearance
"It's all the stuff you've given me as gifts till date" Srishti answered
"But you don't really have to do this" Lakshya told her
"Actually I do, it's the only way I can move on" Srishti explained
Unsure of what to say he just let her be even though her unexpected gesture left him feeling quite hurt, "Fine, if that makes you happy then just do as you please"
Lakshya then called for a helper to collect the same as he walked out of the Mansion.
Shipra who just entered the main living room took notice of Srishti and approached her to check if she were doing well.
"Hello Srishti, how are you doing?" Shipra asked
"I'm fine Aunty" Srishti replied
"In that case would you like to have lunch with us?" Shipra felt bad for the girl given how that she knew that Srishti looked forward to the wedding. She was of the opinion that Srishti would have been a perfect partner for the son and was very keen on having welcomed her a part of the family if it weren't for the untimely demise of her brother in law.
"No it's alright, I just came to drop by some stuff, but thanks for asking" Srishti refused her politely
"I understand" Shipra then walked away as Srishti found her smartphone ringing due to an incoming call from an unknown number.
Srishti swipes the green icon across the screen to receive the call, "Hello"
The caller on the other end replied, "Your friend was found unconscious a few days ago"
"Which friend and where are you calling from?" Srishti asked them
"We couldn't get their name but they did manage to give out your contact number as soon as they regained consciousness" the voice on the other end answered
"Then why don't you ask them now?" Srishti suggested
"They're asleep and resting, either way can you come to pick them up?" the caller asked
"Okay, please give the address" Srishti agreed reluctantly while still unsure about her decision over the same. She then walked out of the the Singh mansion as soon as she received address and got inside her car to leave.
........................................................................................................................................................
"I have nothing to do with his murder" Shashi's mistress claimed as she was being questioned by Lakshya and Adish
who approached her with the intent of asking why she met him on the sangeet night and confirming her identity.
Although Lakshya was taken aback upon the revelation behind their illicit relationship yet he managed to maintain his composure as he continued questioning the woman.
"If you have nothing to do with his murder then what were you doing outside our mansion during my sangeet night? Don't try to deny it, you'll were spotted leaving together in the surveillance footage" Lakshya informed her
"I'm telling you the truth, I swear I have nothing to do with his death nor did I meet him the day he died" the mistress pulled out her phone and showed them a picture of her attending her company dinner the same night.
"You can confirm my alibi with my boss and colleagues, this is all I have in my defence" the mistress told them as they were still skeptical about her alibi
"Alright, we'll do that" Adish told her as he left her residence along with Lakshya who then proceeded to contact her company to verify her alibi.
........................................................................................................................................................
Lakshya and Adish are back at the Singh Mansion, they had just returned and immediately called all the family elders while excluding Soumya to gather at Anvay's study where they reported their findings to everyone.
"I don't believe this, she could have been lying" Chandrika vehemently denied Shashi's extra marital affair.
The rest of the family was equally shocked to learn about the same and couldn't believe their ears.
"Are you sure?" Anvay asked Lakshya
"Yes I am, but that's not the agenda of this gathering" Lakshya responded
"He's right, we're here to discuss this surveillance footage" Adish pulled out his phone and cast the video showing Shashi leaving with his mistress the night he got murdered on the large TV screen.
"As you can all see, Tau ji is clearly seen leaving in a car along with that woman, so it's natural for one to assume that she is involved in his death, however she has a confirmed alibi to prove her innocence" Lakshya told them
"In other words that means-" Adish who was about to convey his conclusion was cut off by Anvay, "the one in the video is likely a shapeshifter"
"That's right not just that but I have a reason to believe there is a serpent living amongst us inside the house already" Adish put forward his suspicions much to everyone's dread and recommended a fire based ritual to catch them red handed unaware of the fact that Ashlesha was eavesdropping on them from the window in her serpent form.
........................................................................................................................................................
Srishti parked her car and stepped out of the same once she reached the given address. It was a little house at the outskirts of the nearby village which she then walked towards and knocked on the door once she was at the porch.
An old woman greeted her and let her inside where her husband was waiting in the living room.
He stood up and then directed her to a door which led to their bedroom, "It's good that you came sooner, I hope you can help your friend get back home now"
Srishti was a bit cautious and kept her guard up as she wondered who was behind that door that claimed to be her friend.
As she entered the room she saw a guy lying on the bed with his back facing her, "who are you and why did you ask for me?"
On hearing her voice he then turned around to face her while still on bed much to her shock and surprise.
"What are you doing here and how is this possible?"
........................................................................................................................................................
To be continued....
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Bloodmoon @Bloodmoon
+ 2
2 years ago
Thanks for the update. Your work is really intriguing. Hope your exams were fine ❤️