Lakshya froze for a moment as he saw Mahima leaning against the bonnet of his car, it took him a while to regain his senses and step out to check on her.
The bruises and bleeding wounds on her body left him shocked and wondering of what could have transpired before his arrival.
"How did you end up like this? Who did this to you? ANSWER ME WILL YOU?" Lakshya asked her as held the somewhat semi-unconscious woman by the shoulders hoping to receive an explanation even though there wasn't much that could help relieve his disturbed state of mind.
"DON'T TOUCH ME" Mahima pushed him away in a repulsive yet defensive manner as her body reacted to the effects of the amulet tied on his wrist leaving Lakshya pretty upset assuming her behaviour was driven by the resentment she harboured against him.
"Don't come near me.....STAY AWAY!!!" Mahima cried as she stepped back and away using all her strength to remain up on her feet.
"I'm only trying to help, please let me" Lakshya tried to pacify her until they were interrupted by a group of men who appeared to be thugs,
"THERE SHE IS, FOUND HER" one of them exclaimed as they approached the duo.
Lakshya instinctively turned around and ahead her in a bid to shield her from them, "WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?" He asked them
"You're no one to ask, NOW GET OUT OF THE WAY" the goon demanded
"She sure made us chase after her, I'm amazed at how she managed to gather the energy get away after all she's endured" one of the goons remarked leaving Mahima confused for a moment.
"So you did this to her?!" Lakshya glared at them in a cold manner
"WHO ELSE ARE YOU EXPECTING? NOW HAND HER OVER!" they demanded as one of them attempted to breach past him and drag Mahima away however were unable to do so as an enraged Lakshya grabbed onto the man's forearm dragging him backwards and elbowed his neck to knock them down.
Outraged by the same the others began to charge towards him one by one however he managed to push them back landing severe yet precise blows to their vital points. As the fight continued some of the goons managed to get a hold of Mahima as they tried to drag her away by the elbow.
"LET ME GO!!" She screamed
"Shh....... It's us" the man tried to hush her followed by them briefly transforming into Ashlesha "We need to get you away from here, please co-operate" she requested to which Mahima obliged as she allowed herself to be taken away by her fellow serpents posing as goons, however Lakshya noticed the same and intercepted them immediately.
"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER?!" in a fit of rage Lakshya began towards them and began to thrash them one by one almost managing to overpower them except for Ashlesha who began to assault him back in the most brutal manner possible targeting his vital points and injuring him severely expecting that it would knock the wind out of him and prevent him from getting in their way any further.
To her surprise as they were about to leave, Lakshya got back up on his feet seemingly unaffected by the injuries and charged right towards them as he began to assault her assuming she were a goon.
"I'm amazed by his tenacity, he sure is a persistent one but how is an ordinary human like him able to take on a serpent like me?" Ashlesha wondered until the amulet on his wrist caught her eye as the reason behind it dawned on her.
As the clash ensued Ashlesha managed to pull apart the amulet tied on to Lakshya's wrist and began to deliver harsher blows however to her disappointment it didn't seem to take him out nor did he back down, further on adding to her woes one of the attendants from a nearby temple took notice of the same and immediately alerted the others present there who then came out to intervene and chase away the supposed miscreants.
Helpless by the situation Ashlesha begrudgingly instructs her men to retreat as she apologized to Mahima telepathically for being unable to help her get away.
"The two of you seem to be in a pretty bad condition?" The attendant noted
"I'll manage but she needs help" Lakshya pointed towards Mahima who fell to the ground losing conciousness due to exhaustion.
Lakshya and the temple attendants immediately rushed to her side and helped her up, "We'll need to get her inside the temple" they told Lakshya to which he agreed as he carried her all the way till they got there. The head attendant got a mattress and put the same on the floor, "lay her down so she can rest" he instructed following which Lakshya placed on her on the mattress.
The head attendant then began to examine her wounds and taken aback by the same which was pretty evident by the expression on his face.
"What's the matter?" Lakshya asked growing concerned about the same to which the attendant replied,
"She's been assaulted in the most ruthless manner possible, it's a miracle that she's still alive and breathing, it must pain you to watch your wife like this"
That very statement caught him off guard and took him by surprise, "What makes you say so? How did you even conclude that?"
"Judging by the way you were thrashing those goons, it seemed like you were getting your personal score settled. A man would only react that way when it involves either his sister, girlfriend or wife" the attendant explained and then apologized, "I'm sorry if I got ahead of myself and just made a wild assumption, if she isn't your wife or girlfriend then I guess she must be your sis-"
Lakshya cut him off right away, "NO SHE ISN'T" he dismissed in a very assertive tone.
"Then who is she exactly?" the attendant asked
"She's.... She's just someone I know" Lakshya answered hesitantly
"Must be a pretty deep connection I suppose then judging by the way you reacted earlier" the attendant pointed as he began to treat Mahima's wounds, "moreover tonight is a very special one, especially for young couples or those seeking suitable partners" he then went on to explain how any devoted person that visited the temple tonight were to receive the lord's blessing would and they would get anything they pray for during this night.
The temple priest then arrived along with some other devotees who were waiting to begin the veneration, on noticing an unconscious Mahima he asked an attendant, "What happened to her?"
On learning about what befell her the priest handed over a little pouch to the attendant and asked him to apply it's content which was some sort of an ash on her forehead as a measure to ward off any negative energy or misfortune that may be after her while requesting Lakshya to join the veneration.
It was then that Lakshya noticed that the idol of Lord Shiva was beautifully decked up along with that of the goddess beside him, the head attendant who was done tending to Mahima's wounds then explained that it was the only night when the otherwise bare and modest God's idol was decorated along with that of his consort following which he proceeded to assist the priest with the holy rituals to begin the veneration during which every one was given the opportunity to do the 'aarti' one by one. When it was Lakshya's turn the priest handed the large sized brass lamp over to him as he began to wave it anti clockwise however Lakshya found his hand trembling while doing so owing to the injury he sustained earlier as a result of which he struggled to hold on to the somewhat heated metal which made it even more difficult to continue any further until he loosened his grip and nearly dropped the lamp only to find his hand held by another one to support the lamp and carry on with the aarti. As he turned to look back Lakshya was surprised to find Mahima standing right beside him, "Why did you wake up? Shouldn't you be resting?" He asked her
"You really think I'd be resting in the middle of the veneration?" was her response as she held his hand, "moreover you were about to drop this"
The two of them carried on with the aarti waving the lamp until the priest collected it from them and uttered the following without much thought "May the Lord bless you with an eternal bond and joyous union" taking the two of them by surprise. The attendant then repeated whatever Lakshya had told him making the Priest shake his head in disbelief, "Why didn't you mention this earlier? Nevermind that now, can't undo the blessing" following which he moved on to the other devotees.
Once the veneration was complete Mahima gathered all her strength once again to turn around and walk away in an unsteady manner struggling to walk down the stairs leading out of the temple. "Have you lost it? Where do you think you're going?" Lakshya asked her in a reprimanding tone
"Where else could I go? Obviously I'm going home" Mahima told him as she limped on her way out who then grabbed her by the wrist preventing her from going any further, "You still haven't answered my question, what exactly were you doing out there this late?"
"It's none of your business and why do you even care to begin with?" She pulled her wrist away
"You very well know why" lakshya replied
"Oh is that so? So what are you going to do about it now? Do you really think you could use that to get your answers?" Mahima retorted
"That is not the answer" Lakshya bored his eyes straight into hers indicating that he wasn't going to turn a blind eye this time, "Why were you out there?"
"I needed oil" Mahima replied
"What do you mean?" Lakshya raised his brow
"We ran out of it and there wasn't any available in the nearby stores, besides most of the stores were closed so I thought of getting from the shop near the temple" Mahima lied hoping he'd believe her.
Lakshya recalled the confrontation Mahima had with the women at the store earlier and immediately realised that she was lying but didn't bother to put it forth as he knew that it would have made her uncomfortable besides holding himself partly responsible for the same as he began to pity her.
"Really? So you thought venturing out late for just that was wise? I thought you were smart but I see it's the other way round" He rebuked
"Excuse me? Does it seem like I care about what you think? Moreover once again it's none of your business and it never will be" she responded in a dismissive manner and turned to look away, "If you're getting bothered because of what happened that night then you needn't worry as I'll get it resolved for the both of us soon" Mahima assured Lakshya although leaving him a bit confused
"What are you going on about?" He asked to which she responded with a vague "You'll find out soon"
Mahima then continued to walk down the stairs only to get interrupted by Lakshya again, "What is it now?"
"I'm dropping you home, please wait here" he told her
"It's not required, I can manage" however he paid no heed and left to get his car, "Like how you did earlier moreover in that condition? Sure I believe you"
........................................................................................................................................................
A While Ago
Adish kept driving through the desolate road in the middle of the night in a bid to witness the invoked giant flaming bird finish off it's prey i.e. the shapeshifting serpents. He followed the ember trail left by the bird which finally led him towards the temple from where it departed on Lord Vasuki's order.
As he stepped out of the car Adish was left Dumbfounded to find no one there and wondered on what could have happened before his arrival.
"How is this possible? There's no way they could have survived this. But if that were the case then why don't I see anyone or their remains here?" Adish wondered as he began to scan the area for clues and while doing so a feeling that he was being watched or that he wasn't really alone there crept into his mind.
Adish looked around to confirm the same but couldn't really find or sense anyone's presence around making him brush it off as his imagination and continue with his probe. As he got near the site where the bird dissipated before the Shivalinga he found a earring on the ground which he then picked up, "I've seen this before" as Adish tried to recollect where he saw it a handkerchief found it's way from the back covering his mouth and nose followed by his arms being grabbed by random men who appeared out of nowhere. Adish struggled to break free from their grasp but found himself losing conciousness owing to the sedatives which he was forced to inhale.
Once he was knocked out completely, the men took him away along with them using his own car to drive away.
........................................................................................................................................................
At the Rai's residence
Srishti laid on her bed still unconscious from earlier when she was discovered in that state much to her parents dismay.
"Why isn't she waking up? It's been quite a while now since she lost conciousness in the car while on our way back home" Smitha asked the doctor who had examined Srishti as her anxiety now began to dominate her mental state.
"Was she fasting today?" He asked them
"Yes just like every year" Smitha answered
"Was she experiencing any kind of stressful situation lately and under medication to cope with the same?" The doctor questioned them
"Yes but it's been quite a while though" Harshad answered
"Then I guess that is more then enough to explain her delicate physical state at the moment, i.e. not taking the medicines owing to the fast. Give her some time, I've given her a shot of multivitamins which should help her wake up in a few hours and if you need anything just let me know" the doctor assured them as he left their residence.
"I knew it, we shouldn't have allowed her to fast this time, this is exactly why I was against it earlier but neither of you'll listened to me" Smitha complained
"Mom please relax, she'll be fine. You heard the doctor that she'll wake up in a while" Shreya who was on the bed seated near the headboard and right next to Srishti tried to pacify her mother.
"Please calm down, panicking like this is not going to help either. Moreover we can't have you collapse next so go and get some rest" Harshad advised his wife who adamantly refused to listen and insisted on staying with Srishti.
"I'll stay with her till she wakes up, you'll can go and rest for the night"
........................................................................................................................................................
Arvind stood outside Mahima room right at the door. He contemplated over whether to discuss with her once again regarding making the fact that she was married known to all pretty much pained by what he saw earlier near the Kirana store.
Arvind knocked at the door and waited for the same to be opened but when that didn't happen he tried open the same only to find it locked from the inside completely unaware that Mahima wasn't in there either.
"Perhaps she's asleep right now, but why did she have to lock the room" Arvind wondered
Arvind knocked again, "Mahima are you okay? Why did you lock the room?" He asked expecting an answer, for a while there was no response making him believe something was wrong.
Just when he was about to unlock the room from the outside Arvind heard her voice, "I'm okay Papa, just a little tired"
Relieved he then repeated, "Why is the room locked?"
"It's because I wish to be alone by myself for now" she told him
"Okay but if you need anything just let me know" with that Arvind let her be for the night as Mahima recalled how she managed to get back home a while back when she was with Lakshya in his car.
"STOP THE CAR" Mahima demanded
Lakshya immediately hit the brakes bringing the car to halt in the middle of the road.
"What happened?" He asked
"I'm getting off over here" she answered leaving him baffled
"Over here? We're almost there so I can drop you right at the doorstep" Lakshya tried to reason with her however Mahima dismissed him and insisted on getting off right there, "that's exactly the reason why I'm getting off here, having anyone see you drop me at the doorstep would just make things worse" She pointed besides this, Arvind was unaware of the fact that she wasn't at home either hence having Lakshya drop her at the doorstep would raise more questions which she obviously didn't want to answer.
"Why don't you just tell them the truth?" Lakshya asked
"What good would that do? Neither of us wanted this. Moreover, I never acknowledged it nor do I plan on complicating things any further by letting others know about it" Mahima gave him a cold response
(Imagine this song play during the entire scene from here on)
"But you're not really in a condition to walk back home from this point" Lakshya reminded her
"You don't have to worry about me, I can manage just fine" with that she opened the door and stepped out and begin to walk home as Lakshya watched her do so for a while as he recalled all the moments they had together including the nigjt they got married until he applied a slight pressure on the accelerator to move the car aheadslowly.
Mahima then noticed and realised that Lakshya was following her and stopped till he approached her. She walked towards his side of the car nearing the window "What are you doing? Why are you driving at a snail's pace right behind me" Mahima asked him in an irritated manner
"You said I couldn't drop you home but I can still drive along to ensure that you get home safely" Lakshya answered annoying her further
Had he just been a random stranger Mahima would have appreciated his company and concern however since he was the one responsible for Vikram's death being near him made her quite uncomfortable. Moreover he is the son of the man who murdered her sister, the former serpent queen making it all the more a reason to avoid him.
"Why do you care whether I get back safely or not? Is it because of-" before she could complete Lakshya cut her off
"No it isn't because of that, I would have done the same had it been anyone else besides you as well"
"Suit yourself" Mahima walked away in annoyance and continued to do so with Lakshya tailing right behind her till she managed to reach the main gate of her home much to his relief as he watched her open the same and get inside following which he pushed down the accelerator speeding up on his way back home.
Once Mahima was sure that Lakshya had left she assumed her serpent form to get back inside her room through the window which she had left open earlier to sneak outside.
........................................................................................................................................................
At the Singh Residence
Everyone except for Chetan, Abhay and Soumya were gathered in the living room pretty stressed out over Lakshya leaving the house out of the blue and waited for him to get back.
"I hope Lakshya is okay, I don't get it, how can he be so reckless and step out to go after those serpents himself?" Shipra grumbled as she walked back and forth while glancing at the main entrance every now and then.
"Calm down Shipra, Adish went after him didn't he? So he should be fine" Anvay tried to comfort her however Shipra wasn't really convinced by the same.
"The serpents are after our family, it's only natural for her to worry, besides this isn't the first time" Chandrika pointed taking into account what happened almost two decades back.
"What do you mean by that? This isn't the first time?" Shipra looked at her mother in law expecting an answer
"We were attacked on our way to that accursed place remember" Chandrika answered hoping she had managed to quel Shipra's doubts.
A moment later they heard the main gate open followed by the sound of a car engine approaching the parking area. The loud beep indicated the car got locked.
"It's Lakshya bhaiyya" Rani announced much to everyone's relief.
Shipra rushed towards him as he got inside from the main entrance, "Are you okay? And what are all these bruises on your face and arms? What exactly happened?" Shipra asked the minute she noticed them when she touched his face.
Lakshya explained that he had encountered some goons who were chasing after a woman which then ensued into a fist fight without disclosing the fact that it was Mahima to avoid having any sort of animosity harboured towards her by his family especially Shipra.
"Why didn't you just call the police?" Anvay asked him
"Exactly!" Shipra exclaimed
"They would have taken a while to get there besides I couldn't really risk just sit and watch like a bystander" Lakshya replied before asking "How is Adish doing right now? Is he okay?" leaving them all pretty surprised as they looked at each other in a seemingly confused state of mind.
"What's the matter? Is he okay or not?" Lakshya questioned them again
Anvay then explained what happened after he left abruptly i.e. Adish stepping out right away to pursue the serpents behind Lakshya.
"Speaking of which, did you manage to see their end?" Chandrika asked him to which Lakshya shook his head and answered "I couldn't really get past those goons besides that I had to ensure that woman got back home safely"
Judging by the way they reacted earlier he figured that Adish hadn't returned home and wondered whether he was subdued by the serpents resulting into a perilous situation for him.
"Let's wait for an hour, if he doesn't return by then we can guess why" Chandrika suggested
Ashlesha who was observing them all from upstairs found Adish's absence pretty strange as well, "He was nowhere nearby when that bird was assaulting us, so there's no question of him discovering our identities, had that been the case i would have made sure to finish him off right then. But then why hasn't he returned yet?" She wondered to herself
Two hours had passed when it was pretty close to daybreak Adish was back home as he entered inside.
"Where were you and what happened?" Lakshya questioned him
"Something that shouldn't have happened" was Adish's cryptic answer
"What do you mean? Is everything okay? Did you manage to confirm if those serpents were eliminated?" Lakshya asked once again however a dejected Adish shook his head and walked away without any explanation leaving the former pretty tensed and curious about the same.
"Something's definitely up but I guess this isn't the right time to ask him about the same" Lakshya thought out loud
........................................................................................................................................................
At the Rai's residence
Srishti woke up on her bed surprised to see her mother right beside the bedside seated on a chair still asleep with her head resting on the bed. She lightly touched Smitha on the shoulder waking her up as she uttered "Mom"
"You're finally awake! Thank goodness" Smitha let out a sigh of relief
"Yes I am but did you find that bird?" Srishti asked her
"There was no bird, you were probably just dreaming" Smitha told her daughter however she continued to insist otherwise.
"If the bird really attacked you then why aren't there any bruises or scratch marks visible from the same?" Smitha pointed
Srishti then noticed herself and realized that her mother was right wondering if it were a dream all along.
"Don't stress over this and just rest okay" Smitha advised her as she stepped out of the room to get her breakfast ready.
Srishti then tried to recall what happened the previous night following which blurry images of a woman tending to her began to flash into her mind, "there was someone there last night, surely she wasn't ordinary. If there aren't any marks or bruises on my body then I suppose it's because of her. But why would did she help me?"
Srishti then resolved to revisit the temple site where the incident occured.
........................................................................................................................................................
Mahima got out her bed right away and changed into a kurti eagerly getting ready to leave for some important work.
Most of her injuries and bruises had healed except for one on the left side of her forehead which was noticed by Arvind immediately who then questioned her about the same.
"It must have been during that confrontation last night near the Kirana store" Mahima lied
"Unbelievable, they've gone too far this time. I can't let this slide, let the cops deal with them" Arvind complained following which he pulled out his smartphone to inform the police only to be stopped by Mahima.
"Let it be, the cops had dealt with them last night already. I'm sure that's more than enough to teach them a lesson"
"I hope so. But neither of this will stop unless you...." Arvind trailed before completing his sentence
"Unless I do what? Tell everyone that I married the person responsible for all the insults and accusations being directed at me? Why? He is the reason why Vikram went missing that night, I will never forget that. I'd rather live alone but not with him" making that clear Mahima stormed out of the house
........................................................................................................................................................
Srishti parked her car right near the temple which she had visited last night along with her family to observe the vigil. She stepped out and headed towards the Shiva linga located in the forest area outside the temple which was now visible to everyone.
"This wasn't here before" she muttered to herself
"Are you looking for something?" A woman who was right behind her asked, she seemed to be pretty old but learned at the same time.
"Yes, I'm looking for answers" Srishti replied and then asked the woman if she was near the site or if she had seen the giant flaming bird the previous night to which the woman replied, "Yes I did. I also saw how it kept attacking you as well"
"So it wasn't a dream after all, but then why aren't there any bruises or marks on my body, in fact not even a scratch" Srishti asked the old woman
"It's because she had healed you" the woman told he
"She? Who are you referring to?" Srishti was curious to learn about them
"Naagin" the woman's response left her shocked
"You mean those two serpents last night, but why would they heal me?"
The woman then answered, "the same reason you tried to help them out" which then left Srishti wondering on why exactly did she risk her life the other night.
"I see that you have more questions, if you wish to get the answers you seek then I suggest to revisit the place where it all first began" the woman told
As Srishti turned her head down as if in deep thought, "Could it be Manasgadh?" She wondered and looked up to confirm with the old woman who was no longer around.
........................................................................................................................................................
Lakshya was busy going through some files in his office while sipping on his cup of coffee at the same time.
A knock at the door could be heard, "Come in" he called our following which the office assistant entered his cabin.
"What is it?" He asked with his eyes still fixed on his files
"There's a lady waiting at the reception area insisting on seeing you right away" the office assistant answered
"Tell her I'm busy today and that she'd need an appointment to meet me" Lakshya instructed as he carried on with reading his files.
"I told her the same thing but she's insisting that it wouldn't take much of your time" The office assistant told him to which Lakshya replied "Refuse her and send her back" making his annoyance pretty apparent.
The officer assistant then stepped out to relay the same to the visitor outside as Lakshya carried on with his work however a minute or two later the door to his office swung open allowing the woman to barge right inside his cabin.
Taken aback by the same Lakshya lost his cool and was about to reprimand them until he looked up to find Mahima right infront of him.
"I'm sorry Sir, I couldn't stop her from getting in here" the office assistant apologised
"It's okay just let her be" Relieved to hear that the assistant stepped out of the cabin.
"What brings you here today all of a sudden?" Lakshya asked Mahima who then took out a file from her tote bag and handed it over to him, "Need your signatures on this"
Lakshya's eyes grew wide the moment he opened the same, "What's this all of a sudden?"
"I'm sure you can read it pretty clear. It's exactly what you see, I'm filing for divorce and those are the papers for the same. I've already signed them and now it's your turn" Mahima answered him in a cold yet indifferent manner.
"And no it isn't all of a sudden. As you know it takes a while to get these papers ready" she continued
It took Lakshya a moment to let that sink in, "So this was how you thought of getting the entire thing resolved?" He asked her in a state of disbelief
"Why do you seem so surprised? I never acknowledged the marriage nor do I plan on honoring it, making it it pretty logical and understandable step" Mahima replied in a seemingly casual manner
"If you don't acknowledge the marriage then why even bother with this at all? Doesn't that just mean you acknowledge it any way" Lakshya pointed
"This isn't about me, it's about you. I never acknowledged it, but I can't really say the same about you. You wouldn't have to bother about me or feel responsible towards me in any manner for hereforth, so please sign those papers and let's end this mutually" Mahima requested him trying her best to remain polite at that point.
Lakshya was overcome by an unexplained feeling of dissapointment and gloom. Downcast he then assured her, "if this is what you want then so be it. I'll read the papers once I'm done and then sign them, if that's fine with you"
"Sure take your time" with that Mahima left the office while Lakshya had his eyes fixed on the legal documents held by him.
"Perhaps this is was expected to happen all along" he thought to himself as he tried to figure the heavy feeling lingering in his chest.
........................................................................................................................................................
At the Rai's residence
Srishti was back home in her room getting her bags packed leaving her parents surprised.
"What's this all of a sudden? Where are you going?" Smitha asked pretty worried by the same
"I'm going back to Manasgadh" Srishti replied
Shocked by the response Smitha rebuked her, "Are you out of your mind? Did you already forget what happened the last time?"
"I haven't but that's the only place with the answers I need" Srishi revealed
"What kind of answers?" Smitha looked at her daughter as she dreaded to hear what she had to say.
"Answers with regards to all the hallucinations and what happened last night" Srishti answered
"No you cannot go there, I forbid you from going anywhere out of the city by yourself especially that place" Smitha ordered
"But-" Srishti tried to reason but was cut off
"No buts and that's final" The moment Smitha walked out of the room she encountered Harshad outside.
"I heard everything, your apprehension is understandable but she is bound to learn the truth some day" he told her
"Nothing would be the same if she did" Smitha expressed her fear.
........................................................................................................................................................
At the Singh's residence
Lakshya had returned back home surprised to find everyone gathered at the main hall.
"Why is everyone gathered here?" He asked
"Because I asked them to do so" Chandrika told him
"But why?" He asked once again
"Because the imminent danger hasn't been averted as of yet. The serpents are still after your family and that ritual performed by the healer was unsuccessful" answered a man who just happened to enter inside after Lakshya.
It was the tantrik who was involved in the conspiracy against Neelima and the resulting destruction of the Sheshnaag clan years ago.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Lakshya for some reason appeared to be repulsed by his presence
"I called him to help us get rid of the snakes" Anvay answered much to Lakshya's surprise "Really dad? I didn't expect this from you"
"Your Dadi and I have discussed this already and felt this was the next most plausible step" Anvay told Lakshya leaving him quite disappointed who had developed a negative impression towards all tantriks post the episode related with Monu's abduction
Without any delay the tantrik then proceeded along with his men to perform a small ritual.
"The curse which was laid on this family years ago has now begun to materialise. They have sworn to destroy this household and they will do whatever it takes to get this done. The one to carry out that curse has emerged and stopping her is going to be difficult for that healer alone, when my best student couldn't stand a chance against her then you can forget about him" the tantrik mentioned as he prepared a incense burner placing a few pieces of sandalwood chunks on it. Adish excused himself from the gathering mentioning he had an urgent call to attend following which the tantrik lit the sandalwood chunks which then began to burn and let out a mild white colored smoke which now began to fill the space.
"If at all there's a serpent in this house then they wouldn't be able to stop themselves from following the sweet yet intoxicating scent of this sandalwood smoke" the tantrik explained as he began to smudge the entire house.
When he entered Ashlesha's room there was no one around, at least it seemed that way until Soumya spotted a red colored serpent right on the window sill.
"I guess we've found the culprit" the tantrik concluded
"So you mean to say....." Shipra couldn't believe her eyes
"Yes it is exactly what it seems. Whoever's been staying in this room is the Naagin seeking to harm this family" the tantrik confirmed.
He then prepared to approach the serpent with the intention of capturing it however right then one of the house staff member screamed "FIRE" distracting the tantrik and allowing Ashlesha to slip away.
When everyone headed downstairs, they were terrified to find the kitchen was indeed on fire and burning right before them prompting both Lakshya and Abhay to pick up the extinguisher as an attempt to douse the flame while Chetan dialed the fire department and called for a fire brigade.
As Ashlesha was about to escape and get out of the premises one of the tantrik's men manage to catch her in her serpent form and enclose her in a basket.
"I've got her" He informed the tantrik who then instructed him to head to their base.
While on the way there his vehicle begins to go out of control prompting him to stop midway and get out of the car. Upon inspection he noticed a flat tire as a result of which he took out the basket containing the red serpent and was about to head towards the base on foot however a sharp blow to his head from the back made him drop the basket causing it to open up as the man became unconscious.
Ashlesha then assumed her human form right then quite surprised to find Adish right before her and asked "Why did you help me?"
........................................................................................................................................................
To be continued...
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