After breakfast, Kiara approached Angad, her voice trembling slightly. "Can I… use your phone for a moment?"
Angad gave a nod, understanding her urgency. "Of course. I'll step away." He handed her the phone and quietly walked off, leaving her alone with her thoughts and worries.
Taking a deep breath, Kiara dialed Varun's number. The phone rang twice before he picked up, his voice immediately tight with concern.
"Kiara? Is that you? Are you okay? Has Yuvaan… harmed you?"
Kiara's lips quivered as tears pricked her eyes. "No… no, Varun. He hasn't hurt me… but I… I feel so trapped. I don't know what to do."
There was a pause, then Varun's voice softened but carried the weight of urgency. "Kiara… I need you to be honest with me. Are you really safe?"
"I… I think so… but…" Her voice broke as panic surged through her chest. "I… I wish I could see Papa. I wish I could be with him…"
Varun's tone changed, grave and heavy. "Kiara… it's your father. Papa's health… it's deteriorating. His blood pressure spiked badly. The doctors are doing everything they can, but… you need to know. You can't be there with him right now."
Kiara froze, her hands gripping the phone so tightly her knuckles whitened. Her heart pounded in terror. "W-What… what happened? How…?"
Varun's voice trembled slightly, though he tried to keep steady. "I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily, but you should know. I promise… I'll come for you soon, Kiara. I'll make sure you and Papa are safe. Just hang on for now."
"I… I…" Kiara choked on her words, tears streaming down her face. She pressed the phone against her chest, feeling the helplessness of being so far from her family.
"Stay strong, Kiara. I won't let anything happen to you," Varun said firmly before hanging up.
Kiara wiped her tears, her hands still trembling, and returned Angad's phone with a whispered, "Thank you." She turned toward Yuvaan's room, but it was empty. Her gaze drifted to the balcony. Without thinking, she decided to sneak out—she had to see her father.
Quietly, she climbed down the balcony, careful with each step. From above, Yuvaan watched, a faint smirk playing on his lips—but Kiara didn't notice him.
She reached the gate and stepped onto the highway, hoping to hail a cab. Cars passed by, ignoring her desperate gestures. Panic tightened around her chest with every second that passed.
Suddenly, she collided with a young woman. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" Kiara exclaimed, helping her regain balance.
"It's okay," the woman said calmly, almost eerily. "I was actually coming for you."
Kiara's brow furrowed in confusion, stepping back. And then, before her eyes, the woman's form twisted and shifted, dark energy crackling around her.
It was one of the three daayans from the shadow realm.
Kiara stumbled backward, her heart leaping into her throat, utterly shocked.
Kiara stumbled backward, her breaths coming in sharp, panicked gasps. Her eyes widened as she took in the daayan before her—reversed feet that defied natural balance, a long braid swaying like a living serpent, nails curved like claws, and eyes glowing a piercing yellow.
"W-Who… who are you?" Kiara stammered, her voice barely more than a whisper.
The daayan's lips curved into a sinister smile. "I am Sunehri," she said, her voice echoing with an otherworldly resonance. "A daayan."
Kiara took another step back, terror rooting her in place. "What… what do you mean by 'coming for me'?"
Sunehri's eyes gleamed with cold purpose. "It's simple, mortal. I came for you because of him." She pointed a clawed finger toward the distance, where the shadow of Yuvaan seemed to linger even though he was unseen. "Yuvaan is our demon lord. He will claim his throne once he possesses the dark stronghold. But there's a catch—love is the greatest weapon against darkness. If he falls… if Kaal's human side succumbs to it, everything will be jeopardized. And now… now that you are his wife, we cannot guarantee he won't fall in love with you."
Kiara's heart pounded against her ribcage. Her mind raced—married to Yuvaan, trapped in a world of dark powers and supernatural enemies, unable to protect her family or herself. Desperation ignited within her.
"I… I have to—" she tried to run, but Sunehri's braid lashed out like a whip of living shadow.
The strike caught Kiara across her side, and she crashed to the ground, pain and fear colliding in a single, overwhelming moment.
Her breath caught. The daayan loomed over her, eyes glinting with a merciless light.