Ahsan and AZ walked through the forest in silence, the leaves crunching softly beneath their feet. The former shakchunni had been dropped off safely—a place where she could begin a new life without fear, without curses.
Ahsan finally broke the silence.
"So, AZ… I'm guessing this wasn't the first shakchunni you cured, right?"
AZ nodded calmly."No. She was the fourth."
Ahsan glanced at him in surprise."Fourth?"
"The place she's staying at now belongs to a close friend of mine," AZ continued. "She helps women like them start over—new identities, legal documents, jobs. Some even get married into decent families."
Ahsan smiled genuinely."That's… actually amazing."
Then he paused, smirking.
"So," he added, "do you tell all of them that you'd marry them? Like you told this one?"
AZ shook his head."No. The others never asked. I just told them they'd have better lives if they trusted me—and they did."
Ahsan tilted his head."But this one asked."
AZ shrugged lightly."And I answered."
Ahsan raised an eyebrow."So you'd actually marry her? Even when she looked… well—green skin, messy hair, terrifying nails?"
AZ smirked."Trust me. I've dated way worse."
Ahsan blinked."…That is not reassuring."
AZ chuckled."There's no such thing as ugly. You just have to see the beauty people hide. Like you did with Noi."
Ahsan flushed instantly."That's completely different!"
"Yeah, yeah," AZ laughed. "Whatever helps you sleep."
They reached the center of the forest. AZ pulled out the Gate orb, crushed it against the ground, and the portal bloomed open.
"Let's go home."
They stepped back into AZ's office.
Ahsan immediately noticed Noi sitting on the floor, focused deeply on her drawing. The art markers he had gifted her were scattered neatly beside her. She smiled when she saw him—then suddenly frowned.
Ahsan and AZ exchanged confused looks.
Using Connect, AZ asked gently,"Noi, what's wrong?"
Noi pointed behind them.
They turned.
And froze.
The former shakchunni was sitting cross-legged on the floor, as she belonged there.
Ahsan whispered,"Uh… AZ? Didn't we leave her with your friend?"
AZ's jaw tightened."…I thought we did."
He stepped forward."Why did you follow us? Is something wrong?"
The woman smiled sweetly."I followed my husband. Why would I stay anywhere else?"
Noi's mouth fell open.
Ahsan's brain short-circuited.
AZ exhaled slowly."…So that didn't work."
Ahsan stared at him."You think?"
Before AZ could say more, the woman suddenly hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest.
"Please don't abandon me," she cried softly."You saved me. Only you deserve me. I can't live without you."
AZ shot Ahsan a desperate look.
Ahsan cleared his throat."Hey, don't look at me. You said you'd marry her. Take responsibility."
AZ glanced helplessly at Noi.
She shrugged.
Defeated, AZ sighed."…Fine. You can stay. But you're free to leave whenever you want."
The woman smiled shakily, resting her forehead against his shoulder."Thank you, my love."
Ahsan facepalmed."Who knew this mission would end like this?"
Suddenly, the woman began planting rapid kisses on AZ's face.
Noi squeaked and covered her eyes, face burning red.
Ahsan gasped."HEY—get a room!"
The woman froze."Oh! Of course. I should wait until we consummate our marriage."
AZ's soul left his body.
"…C-consummate?"
She nodded eagerly."I want to belong to you. Body and soul."
AZ had fought demons, curses, and monsters beyond comprehension.
Nothing had ever terrified him like this.
He looked at Ahsan in pure desperation.
"Ahsan… help?"
Ahsan sighed, stepping in."Okay, okay—everyone calm down. Let's talk first. The… consummation thing can wait."
The woman nodded obediently and stepped back.
AZ finally breathed.
He had survived many battles.
But this?
This was something else entirely.
The woman sat gracefully on a chair and smiled warmly at Noi.
"What a beautiful girl," she said. "Is she your wife, kind sir?"
Ahsan froze."N–No! I mean—no, we're not married!"
Noi's face instantly turned red. She covered her face with both hands and hurried back to her room.
Ahsan stared after her, flustered."Wait… how is she understanding what you're saying? We can only talk to her using Connect."
AZ replied calmly,"Shakchunnis can use Connect naturally. Even though she's back in human form, that ability stayed. That's also why she can speak modern Bengali instead of the older dialect."
Ahsan nodded slowly, then turned back to the woman."So… how old are you?"
She smiled softly."I was born in 1313."
Ahsan's jaw dropped."1313?! You're that old?!"
AZ placed a reassuring hand on Ahsan's shoulder."Relax. Bengali year 1313. If the current year is 1430, that makes her around… 117."
Ahsan blinked."…That's still ancient!"
AZ shrugged."Their aging freezes once they turn into a shakchunni."
Then he looked at her seriously."At what age did your fiancé abandon you at the altar?"
Her smile faded.
"I was eighteen," she said quietly."I was already considered too old to marry. Still, he chose me. I thought he loved me. But once he received the dowry… he ran away."
Her fingers clenched."My parents blamed me. Called me defective. They threw me out."
She lowered her gaze."That's when I became what you know as a shakchunni."
Ahsan frowned."How is eighteen 'too old'?"
AZ answered flatly,"Back then, girls were married off as early as ten."
Ahsan muttered,"I don't know whether that makes her too old… or heartbreakingly young."
He looked at her again."So… what's your name?"
She paused.
"I don't remember," she admitted."I used many names. Took many faces. After a while… my real name disappeared."
Ahsan turned to AZ."Then what do we call her?"
AZ thought for a moment."Well… she was a shakchunni. So maybe something close to that. Like… Shakila?"
Ahsan sighed."That's the best you could come up with?"
He shrugged."Works for me."
"Shakila…" the woman repeated softly, testing the name.
Then she suddenly hugged AZ tightly.
"Thank you for giving me my name, husband mine," she said emotionally."I feel reborn through you. I love you."
Ahsan quickly pulled her back."Okay—social distancing. You two aren't married yet."
Shakila smiled knowingly."Yet. But soon."
AZ sighed deeply, already dreading the future.
His phone rang.
He checked it."…New case."
Ahsan groaned."We just finished one an hour ago! I'm exhausted."
"I know," AZ said. "But the more demons we deal with, the faster your limb recovers. You can stay if you want."
Ahsan hesitated."…Fine."
Then he frowned."But what about Shakila? Who'll take care of her?"
Just then, Noi came out carrying a plate of homemade cookies. She offered them shyly to Shakila.
Shakila accepted with a warm smile—and handed cookies to AZ and Ahsan as well.
Ahsan's fingers brushed Noi's.
Both of them froze.
Ahsan took a bite.
His eyes widened.
"This is… incredible."
He closed his eyes, savoring the taste, an involuntary satisfied sound escaping him."Thank you, Noi. It's phenomenal."
Noi blushed furiously and hid her face behind the tray.
Using Connect, AZ told her,"Noi, take care of Shakila and the office, okay? You always wanted a friend."
Noi's face lit up.
She took Shakila's hand and led her inside.
Ahsan smiled softly, watching them go.
AZ coughed."Work first. Love later."
Ahsan groaned."…Fine."
"We'll need to take a bus," AZ added. "Noi couldn't drop a Gate there."
Ahsan groaned louder."Seriously?!"
"We can return using a Gate," AZ reassured.
They stepped outside.
Neither of them realized—
The day had only just begun.And soon, they would face something far more terrifyingthan anything AZ himself had ever encountered.