Chapter 4: Shivani Chandravanshi
"Ahh…"
Yug opened his eyes to darkness.
For a moment, he did not move. His thoughts came back slowly, scattered and numb. He tried to focus, but saw nothing. Only the faint twitch of his finger told him he was conscious.
"Ugh… cough… cough…"
The sound tore from his throat. Every breath scraped through him.
Alive.
He tried to sit up. Pain surged through his body at once, sharp enough to make him grit his teeth, but he forced himself upright and stayed there.
His breathing turned uneven. He lowered his head and inhaled slowly.
The smell of sand filled the air. Dampness clung to his clothes and skin. It was water—not blood.
The safeguards in his modified lab had kept him alive.
The entire space had been modified for extreme emergencies. Sand was stored inside hidden channels within the structure, ready to pour out when temperatures rose beyond control or an impact threatened the room. It absorbed heat, softened force, and bought time. At the center of that system was the Emergency Ticket, a tool linked to both him and the lab, designed to trigger those protections the moment danger crossed its limit.
"Ticket, come out," Yug called hoarsely.
The Ticket recognized his voice and dropped into his palm. The moment it touched him, a fresh wave of pain ran through his body. He sucked in a sharp breath and tightened his grip.
"Open the door."
A soft click answered him. Somewhere ahead, the hidden panel built into the wardrobe unlocked. Dim grey light seeped through, just enough to guide him forward.
Yug steadied himself, then pushed through the passage and stepped into his bedroom. The familiar space blurred at the edges of his vision. He blinked hard and stood still until the dizziness eased.
"Hide," he whispered.
The Ticket slipped back into his body, hidden so well that it could pass for a speck of dirt, a contact lens, or a strand of hair.
Exhaustion dragged at his limbs. He only wanted to lie down and let the pain pass. Then he stopped. There was someone beside the bed.
He stared for a moment, silent and still.
Moonlight spilled through the window behind the figure, catching only a pair of pale, moon-like eyes. The rest remained swallowed by shadow.
The figure was gone. A cold draft lingered in the air.
Only emptiness remained.
Yug remained still for a few seconds, then lowered his gaze. It had happened before. Not often, but enough. A shape at the corner of his vision. A presence that vanished when he looked properly. A face where there should have been none.
A delusion.
When would it end?
When would emptiness stay empty?
He let himself fall onto the bed. The mattress dipped beneath him, and the last of his strength slipped away. This time, sleep came quickly.
***
A knock pulled him awake the next morning.
By the time he opened his eyes, a servant had already entered, cleaned the room, and told him that his mother was calling for him. Something about the quiet routine felt off.
Yug rose from the bed and headed to the bathroom. Cold water washed over his body, making him flinch. Then his gaze lifted to the mirror.
No cuts.
No burns.
No bruises.
Nothing.
His skin was smooth and unmarked, as if the blast had never touched him at all.
For a brief instant, one name rose in his mind.
Nitya.
He pushed it away at once.
Impossible.
The explosion was still clear. The heat, the pressure, the collapse. After that, everything broke into fragments. Sand. Darkness. Pain. Then the eyes.
Those pale eyes.
He looked away from the mirror and exhaled slowly. Thinking harder would not bring clarity. Not now. Whatever had happened, his body had healed. That was enough for now.
When he returned to his room, a towel was draped over his head. He rubbed his hair dry as his gaze fell on his phone, still plugged in by the bedside.
He unlocked it. A message waited on the screen. He had expected Kruti. Instead, it was from Nitya.
His thumb brushed against the side of his index finger.
"How?"
He had been certain she would never reply to him, let alone agree to meet him. A reply was unlikely enough. Agreeing to meet him was something else entirely.
Yug slipped the phone into his pocket and left, though his thoughts remained tangled around Nitya.
There was always something hidden about her. Not obvious. Not loud. But there. Buried beneath restraint, silence, and the careful mask she wore for everyone else.
When would the real one step forward?
He could guess why she wanted to meet. She either wanted something, or she had finally decided to act.
Either way, it interested him.
"Lady, you don't have to worry."
Prashila's voice broke through his thoughts.
Yug stepped into the sitting room. His mother sat on the couch, and across from her sat a girl. Behind Prashila stood a servant, straight-backed and silent. When Yug looked his way, the head servant gave a faint nod in greeting.
Yug moved forward and looked at the guest.
The moment their eyes met, something in him stirred, then disappeared just as quickly.
The girl had sky-colored hair and matching eyes, but there was nothing soft in them. No childlike innocence, no easy warmth. Her gaze was calm, clear, and cold in a way that felt strangely deliberate.
Yug turned to his mother.
"Mother, when did you come?"
Prashila looked at him with immediate affection. Her expression softened, and she patted the seat beside her.
"Come here, darling. Let me look at you properly."
Yug obeyed. Prashila's full attention settled on him, her expression soft, her hand lifting slightly as if she wanted to touch his face.
"Ahem." Shivani cleared her throat, a polite reminder that she was still there.
Both Yug and Prashila turned toward her. A flicker of realization passed over his mother's face, followed by brief embarrassment.
"I am so sorry, Lady. In all the excitement, I completely forgot my manners," Prashila said, awkwardness flickering across her face.
"It's fine," the girl replied. Then she turned to Yug. "You did not introduce me." Her gaze shifted back to his mother.
"I'm Yug," he cut in, not waiting for his mother to speak. His eyes remained on hers, searching for a crack in her polite mask.
"Oh, I've heard about you from Mrs. Satya. You're the youngest child in the family, and a genius, too," she said, her tone polite and composed.
"It's good to meet you, Yug. I'm Shivani Chandravanshi."
For the first time since entering the room, Yug's expression sharpened.
Chandravanshi. The name struck him at once.
Pleased to see them speaking, Prashila immediately joined in.
"Yug, you have no idea how helpful her family has been to us. They have stood by us with protection and financial backing, and Shivani is the only daughter of the Chandravanshi family. Though she is still in her teens, she has already joined her father in expanding their business and—"
"Do you know Rudra Suryavanshi and Nitara Agnivanshi?" Yug interrupted.
Prashila fell silent.
"Yes," she said. "We are connected. How do you know them?"
"We're classmates."
The word left a bitter taste in his mouth. For two years, Yug had tried to prove himself superior to those around him, yet nothing had ever felt enough. No achievement. No victory.
But none of that mattered now.
Shivani held his attention.
Something about her felt wrong.
He saw the same thing in her that he had seen in the others, but hers felt far more dangerous. Every expression she wore seemed false, edged with boredom, as though something lay hidden behind those sky-colored eyes.
So Yug decided to test her.
"Have we met before?"
Shivani looked at him, searching his brown eyes for any trace of deceit. There was none.
A faint tremor ran through her shoulder. Her lips parted, but before she could answer, Prashila spoke.
"What do you mean, child? She came here for the first time. How could you have met her? You must have mistaken her for someone else."
Prashila had noticed nothing.
Yug yawned, as though he had already gotten what he wanted. He still had doubts, but chose not to pursue them.
"No, you are right, Mother," he said. "I'm hungry. I haven't eaten since last night. Let's eat something and talk there. I have to meet my sister, so I'll need to leave soon."
He wanted nothing more from them now. Meeting his sister had already been delayed once.
"Fine," Prashila said. Then she turned to Shivani. "Will you join us?"
Shivani gave a small nod.
"I will."
They moved to the dining table, where the servants laid out the meal. After eating, Yug left the house to meet his sister.
Prashila joined Shivani, giving her a tour of the house. The hours passed quietly into noon.
Then Prashila received a call from Anaya.
"Mom, where is Yug?" Anaya asked, irritation sharp in her voice. "I've been trying to call him, but his phone is switched off."
Prashila frowned. "What do you mean? He left this morning. He should have reached you by now."
Silence followed.
"He's not here," Anaya said again, quieter this time.
A chill settled in Prashila's chest.
"Mom…" Anaya hesitated. "Do you think something happened to him?"
"Don't." Prashila's voice turned sharp. "Don't say that."
She cut the call before Anaya could speak again. For a moment, the room tilted. Her vision blurred. Her legs trembled.