Jhanvi rolled her eyes before pulling Ayesha into a hug. Ayesha melted into it instantly, resting her head against her shoulder. At that moment, they were just sisters.
Jhanvi gently patted Ayesha's back before pulling away slightly. She told Ayesha everything that Tamas had revealed about the ancestors of Singhania and what happened in the 1690s.
Ayesha's eyes widened in shock. "So that's why Baba wants them dead?"
Jhanvi nodded slowly. "Yes." It was followed by both of them being silent.
Then Ayesha spoke up. "Di… I'm scared of something."
Jhanvi sighed faintly. "I know." Her voice softened. "You're scared because your heart is getting involved." She reached for the velvet box beside them and opened it. Inside lay a diamond necklace, shimmering like a star.
"Baba sent this for you." Jhanvi lifted the necklace and moved behind her sister, carefully placing it around Ayesha's neck.
"We came here for one purpose," she murmured while fastening the clasp. "We took the Suri daughters' identities so we could enter the Singhania house unnoticed." Her eyes met Ayesha's reflection in the mirror. "And we planned to marry the K brothers so we could destroy this family from within."
Ayesha lowered her gaze. "But somewhere along the way… I fell in love with Prem."
Jhanvi stayed silent for a moment before asking quietly, "What did he say?"
A small smile appeared on Ayesha's lips despite everything. "He said he feels the same. But after everything that's happened… he's scared to take things further."
"Hm." Jhanvi adjusted the necklace gently. "Maybe that's for the best."
Ayesha looked at her reflection sadly. "Baba would never accept it anyway," she continued. "Prem is human. And I… belong to the royal rakt pishach bloodline." Her eyes shimmered faintly red. "Di… I really love him."
Jhanvi's expression softened again. She cupped Ayesha's face gently before pulling her into another hug.
"I know," she whispered. "Which is exactly why we have to protect him too."
Ayesha blinked in confusion. "Protect him?"
Jhanvi nodded slowly. "Baba plans to kill him along with the others once our revenge is complete."
Ayesha went still. After a few seconds, she gave a quiet nod. "Hmm…"
"But," Jhanvi said firmly as she stepped back, "we cannot let emotions make us forget why we came here."
Ayesha inhaled deeply. "Yes, di."
"Tomorrow…" Jhanvi's eyes turned red.
"The muh dikhayi ceremony of Veeransh," Ayesha finished.
Jhanvi nodded. "And tomorrow, one of our targets dies."
Ayesha's lips curved into a cold smile. "Everything is ready. The chandelier… and the plan."
"Hm."
Jhanvi turned toward the doorway, the sound of her payal echoing. As she left the room, the scene came of Veer and Krishav kissing crossed her mind. "No, Jhanvi. You cannot fall in love with a human. But..." her eyes turning back to normal. "I have to remind that Veer that even if Krishav married him, he'll always love me.
* * *
The villa looked nothing less than royal that evening. Marigold garlands and white roses hung elegantly all over. Every pillar was decorated with lights and flowers. The crowd was small, but everyone was dressed in expensive clothing. Today was Veeransh's muh dikhayi.
He wore a cream-colored sherwani and sat on the main couch adorned with flowers. A beautiful pearl Shehra hid his face.
Krishav sat beside him in an ivory sherwani and everytime he looked at Veer, he could not get over how handsome he looked. And this emotion was weird for Krishav, because he knew he loved someone else.
Lalita, Aditi and Rashmi were gossiping with the other guests and relatives. While the men were entertaining themselves with wine and whisky. Rajesh and Preet were sitting in the bar area.
"Where the hell is this Kairav?" Rajesh asked Preet. "I've been calling this idiot and he simply isn't picking the phone. Even the servants say that he left home last night."
"Don't worry bhai. He'll come back." Preet said as he sipped his whisky. "And in my opinion, it's best that he is not here. Or else who knows what he would have done seeing Veer with Krishav again."
Jhanvi and Ayesha came downstairs. And they looked that the ceremony was about to start. Jhanvi could not keep her eyes off from the way Krishav and Veer sat on that couch. Ayesha called her, breaking her attention, "Di.. stop staring at him and get work with the plan."
"I am not staring." she said immediately.
"Yuh yuh," Ayesha sighed. "I'll go text Preet from Prem's phone and call him upstairs."
Jhanvi nodded. Then both the sisters went separate ways. Ayesha pulled Prem away from the crowd and took him behind the pillars. While Jhanvi stepped into the main crowd and sat beside Lalita. "Aunty ji."
Lalita looked at her direction.
Jhanvi changed her voice to a calm girl's, "Can I start the ceremony. I want to forget all the things that happened and give a new start. I don't want to keep any grudges."
Lalita smiled and caressed her cheeks. "Surely why not."
She stood up and moved to the center, taking everyone's attention. "The muh dikhayi has started everyone."
Jhanvi moved to the couple with a small box. Then, she bent down a bit and took the Shehra to the side and looked at Veer's face. "Handsome face, Veer," she said with a bitterness in her voice. Then, opened the box and took out a gold bracelet. And Krishav recognised that bracelet immediately.
Veeransh's gaze dropped to the bracelet as Jhanvi carefully fastened it around his wrist. The moment he noticed the engraved initials, his eyes widened slightly.
K & J.
Jhanvi whispered, "Krishav gave it to me on our first date anniversary. Now that you have him, you can have this bracelet too." She leaned in a bit more, "But his heart and the initial engraved here will always be of mine." She smiled and stepped back. Her work was done here.
The guests soon gathered around Veeransh, showering him with compliments and piling gift after gift into his lap.
"So handsome…"
"No wonder Krishav lost his mind over him."
"He looks absolutely stunning."
Expensive jewellery boxes, envelopes, watches, and decorative trays kept arriving one after another while Veeransh sat there awkwardly beneath everyone's attention.
Jhanvi tightened her fist when Ayesha pulled her away. "Di, let's go. He'll be coming in five minutes." Jhanvi nodded before glaring at Veeransh and then stepping up the stairs.
Veeransh's eyes followed Jhanvi as she disappeared upstairs. Krishav slowly turned toward him saying, "Damn," he muttered slowly. "She really chose violence today."
Veeransh shot him a glare. "If you don't shut up right now, I'll stab you with a knife. I'm already feeling bored from smiling like a thousand times."
Krishav smirked immediately. "Aaye haaye… scary husband."
Veeransh rolled his eyes and looked away. But then his expression changed instantly. His eyes lit up and his lips curved into a genuine smile. Rehaan had just entered the hall carrying an enormous box. His eyes met Veer's and he started walking towards the stage.
Krishav noticed that smile. And suddenly, for absolutely no reason he could explain, irritation crawled beneath his skin.
Rehaan reached the couch and laughed softly. "Wow. So this is the famous new face of the Singhanias everyone is talking about, huh?"
Veeransh let out a small laugh. "You came."
"Of course I came," Rehaan replied warmly. "You thought I'd miss this ceremony?" He handed him the gift box. Veeransh accepted it happily while the two continued talking comfortably, almost forgetting the crowd around them.
Krishav sat beside them silently. He was watching, listening and getting increasingly annoyed.
Veeransh laughed at something Rehaan told.
Krishav's jaw tightened slightly. Why the hell was he laughing so much with him? And why was that bothering him? He frowned faintly at his own thoughts. This feeling was unfamiliar, irritatingly unfamiliar.
Eventually, the muh dikhayi ceremony came to an end.
Soon the music shifted into louder celebratory songs, and the atmosphere of the villa transformed completely. Guests moved toward the dance floor while laughter and conversations echoed through the hall. Ananya grabbed Krishav's wrist dramatically. "Enough sitting like a mafia boss. Come dance." Prem immediately joined her. "Yes bhai, today you're not escaping."
Before Krishav could refuse, they had already dragged him onto the dance floor. Despite himself, he eventually gave in, dancing along half-heartedly while everyone laughed around him.
But his attention kept drifting elsewhere. Toward Veeransh. Veer was still seated near the couch, smiling faintly while adjusting the gifts piled around him.
Then Rehaan walked back towards him again and made Krishav grit his teeth. He watched as Rehaan leaned down and said something to Veeransh that made him smile before casually taking Veeransh's hand and pulling him away from the crowd.
Krishav immediately stopped dancing. Something sharp twisted inside him. Without saying a word to anyone, he quietly stepped away from the dance floor and followed them through the hall.
Near the quieter corridor beside the garden entrance, Rehaan and Veeransh stood talking softly. Rehaan was still holding Veeransh's hand while speaking. And from behind one of the marble pillars, Krishav watched them silently. His expression turned irritated. He didn't know why seeing them together annoyed him this much. But he hated it.
As music and laughter filled downstairs, nobody noticed the horror unfolding above them. The upper corridor was quieter than before.
Preet stood near the balcony railing, completely distracted by Jhanvi's soft voice and charming smile.
He never saw Ayesha move. The knife plunged deep into his back with a sickening force.
Preet gasped violently, his body jerking forward as blood spilled from his mouth onto the marble floor. His screams were covered by the loud music.
His face turned to shock and horror. Jhanvi's eyes glowed red as her skin turned pale and scary. Her nails grew to become sharp claws. Behind him, Ayesha slowly twisted the blade deeper. She also turned into a human-looking monster. Beautiful in the most terrifying way.
Preet stumbled, choking. "W-what the—"
Jhanvi stepped closer. "You know," she whispered coldly, "your family has a habit of killing mothers."
Preet's breathing became uneven.
Jhanvi grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall hard enough to crack the wood behind him. "My mother was just protecting the rakt kumbh. But you and your family killed her for no reason and stole our precious kumbh," she hissed near his ear.
Preet clutched his back as blood kept flowing out. "I-I didn't—"
Ayesha grabbed and made him stand. She drove the knife into Preet's chest and he cried out loud in pain. Blood gushed from the wound.
Jhanvi stepped forward and her sharp claws tore across his chest next, shredding his fabric and skin as blood soaked the kurta. "You and your family do not deserve to live."
Preet choked as Jhanvi gripped his throat and squeezed it. "I-I-I di-did not do anything...." he spat out blood. "Bhai and bhabi pla—"
"CHUP!" Jhanvi shouted. "Go die." She took him near the railing and smiled once. Then, she threw him over the railing.
The body crashed directly on top of the massive crystal chandelier hanging above the ballroom. The sharp glass spears pierced straight through Preet's body. A long shard tore his head and ripped through it. Blood kept dripping slowly through the golden chandelier.
Ayesha and Jhanvi looked at each other. "Di, there goes another one of our targets."
Jhanvi gave a satisfied hum. "Let's clean up this mess."
Due to the heavy weight, the chandelier snapped violently and came crashing down onto the marble floor below with an earth-shaking crash. Glass shattered everywhere.
Guests screamed and stumbled backward in terror as blood rained across the floor. Women cried out and someone fainted. Music stopped abruptly.
The once beautiful celebration turned into chaos within seconds.
Rajesh froze completely. His wine glass slipped from his hand and shattered near his feet as he stared upward in horror. "P-Preet…?"
Lalita screamed loudly, clutching Aditi in panic. Aditi's eyes turned lifeless. Seeing her husband like that, she stumbled back.
Prem, Smruti and Koustuv stood frozen in shock, unable to process what they were seeing. The reality hit them slowly—their father was dead. Smruti covered her mouth as tears instantly filled her eyes.
Krishav immediately pushed through the terrified crowd toward the center while Veeransh and Rehaan followed close behind him.
The massive chandelier now lay destroyed across the ballroom floor. And beneath the shattered crystal was Preet's mutilated body hung twisted among the broken glass and blood.
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Guide:
muh dikhayi - post-wedding celebration
Chup - shut up