The Singhanias were gathered at the breakfast table. Chandrakala was talking to Tapish about something while Balwant and Pawan were engaged in some work conversation. Their usually chirpy son was quite.

Ponky raised his hand slightly, his pinky finger and ring finger attached together while his middle finger and index finger were also attached. There was a gap between the two pairs. 

P: (starts humming) ton ton ton toooooon...

D: (humming himself) jadoooooo jadoooooo...

They both snickered. Veer frowned and kept eating.

C: ye kya bol rahe ho..

P: arey badimaa...aapko nahi pata jadoo...

Veer shot him an irritated look. Daksh signalled Ponky to shut up and quickly covered up.

D: arey koi mill gaya...acchi film hai...kl doobara dekhi to gana dimag me set hoo gaya...kyun Veer bhai? Koi mill gaya? (Veer swrews his eyes)...acc-acchi hai na?

P: haan..usme magic hota hai...magic!

V: mai ek magic dikhau? Tum dono gayab ho jaoge?

P: arey bhai...mazak kr rahe hai...aap chinta kyu krte ho...apne bhi to kl jadooo ko dekha tha..

Veer got up irritated and left.

C: ye kya baat ho rahi hai..

T: chodiye na maa...kuch hoga inka apas ka joke.

D: (whispers to Ponky) kya kehte they? Veeranshu Singhania ko kabhi pyaar nahi ho skta (makes a face imitating him)

P: ab to maza ayega bhai ko chidane me... pr vo hogi kon?

D: jo bhi hai...koi khaas hi hogi jo bhai ka dil pehli baar itna attach hua hai...pr tu itna mt ched...bhai na band baja denge..

He smacks his head.

P: haan to maine kya akele cheda hai...(pushes him away)...maze to tu bhi le raha tha bro!

They started to goof around.

................................

Veer was driving aimlessly when he heard a sweet melodious voice.

Auto! Auto!...

Veer turned to see the girl from yesterday. She looked breathtaking in her simple suit.

V: Tumhari to awaz bhi magical hai..

He turned his bike and went towards her. He parked near her. Bani got scared at the sudden movement.

B: arey bhaiya?

V: uff! Bhaiya bolkr poori feeling ki hi maar di sweetheart?

He took off his helmet and Bani was lost in his eyes.

B: tum? (whispers softly but Veer still heard her)

V: yes...tumhe mai yaad hoon...not bad..kahan jaa rahi ho sweetheart?

B: kyu? Tum mujhe chor kr aaoge?

V: tch tch tch...tum chodne waali cheez nahi ho ...tumhare saath aaunga..

B: accha? Aur mujhe kissi (thinks)...kissi salon me jaana hua toh?

V: bahar wait kr lunga..

B: you don't even know me aur phir bhi you'll do this for me?

V: ye toh kuch bhi nahi hai...mai to apni jaan bhi de doon?

B: (frowns) ek stranger ke liye?

V: vo kya hai na sweetheart...vo alag baat hai ki hum mille kl hi hai, pr ye dil tumhe jaanta shayad kai zamane se hai..

B: bohot filmy ho..

V: ab kya kahen? lute hue ashiquon ki yahi pehchan hai...kambakht shayar bade kamal ke hote hai..

Bani looked at him skeptically. She turns and spots an auto. She shows him her hand. Luckily or unluckily, it stops. Bani gets in.

V: aaj to tum jaa rahi ho sweetheart, lekin kissi din tumhe mere pass hi rahogi...tumhe jahan jaana hai, mai hi lekr jaunga...vo bhi haq se..

Bani frowned and sat. Veer instructed the driver to drop her safely. He even gave him Bani. Bani refused but he didn't listen. Bani took the money from the auto driver and walked towards Veer.

B: You!..samajhte kya ho...aa..ouch!

She tripped and Veer held her arms to break her fall. A current passed both their bodies and an image of Akesh and Nageshwari talking in the woods flashed before their eyes. Both broke away, confused.

Bani sat back into the auto wordlessly. Veer's eyes trailed after her till she disappeared. He checked the time in his watch to notice that Bani had slipped the folded note in his watch's band.

V: sweetheart?...self respect and all hun?...let me tell you..I find it hot!

He fisted his hands in the air like claws.

...................................

Bani reached the hospital and moved towards  her family doctor's cabin.

D: aao Bani...

B: Hello aunty...meri reports aayi..

D: aa gayi Bani..please sit...jaise tumne kaha tha...ki you are getting sudden fevers, sweating and breathing difficulties but tumhare reports ek dum normal hai..there is nothing wrong.

B: pr aunty ...chalo fever ka mai viral samaj loon lekin aise saanse na aana?

D: Ho skta hai kuch aur ho jo detect na hua hai...kuch aur tests hai..

B: but usme paise lagenge aunty and mai already family se chupkr apse milne aayi hoon because I don't want to worry them but aur tests krne pade to mujhe batana padega...

D: That is your decision Bani. But going by your current reports, I don't see anything wrong in you pr phir jo tum keh rahi ho..vo kyun hai mujhe nahi pata..

Bani nodded and left.

.........................................

Jai was driving home from his restaurant. His mood sour as yet another one of his worker quit claiming better salary at a different place. He knew what was this place- Mercury.

J: saala pub hai ya restaurant. Itne cooks kyun chahiye??...

He banged his hand on the wheel when his eyes landed on a girl walking on the footpath. Her figure shined through the flimsy material of her suit as it blew in the wind and clutched her frame. Jai smirked and stopped.

J: miss?

The girl frowned and stopped.

J: kahin drop kr doon?

The girl refused politely and left. Jai smirked and got down. He ran and caught her.

Girl: ye kya badtameezi hai?

J: Kya? Kya tumhe samaj nahi aa rahi ye kya hai? Ab invite dogi to ana toh padega na..

Girl: konsa invite?

J: aap itni late, aise sunsaan sadak pr chalogi toh usse invite hi kahenge na..

Jai was in a very foul mood today. He thought that he can let out all his anger on this girl.

J: waise mai aisa krta toh nahi...I can hire women you see...but aaj mai bohot gusse me hoon...and you will help me...

Girl: what?

Jai forcefully dragged her to his car.

G: help!...help!...koi hai..

Bani, who was passing by, heard her. She rushed to see a girl getting pushed into a white car. She ran towards her but the man pushed the girl in and drove away. Sudden rage launched itself in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't breathe. She launched forward and started to run but couldn't keep up. But then, Bani felt her vision heighten. It zoomed in on the car and her speed increased. She followed the car with ease now. Her speed was so much that she almost felt like she was gliding. Her eyes froze on the crying and struggling girl in the back seat. Fury clouded her vision.

She looked at the side mirror that reflected her and froze!

Instead of Bani, a gaint red snake was staring at the car. Bani stopped and looked down.

B: (thinks) what?...I am a snake?...ye kaise ho skta hai?...am I dreaming? What the hell?...ye sb?..

Bani's mind became twisted like wire. She stopped and tried to phase back.She looked up when she heard the girl's plea for mercy. Somehow, she could hear distant things more clear now.

B: leave Bani...pehle us ladki ko bachana hai...that is more urgent.

She said to herself as she slithered behind the car in her new, majestic form.

.................................

Bani turned into her Naagin avatar! Excited?

A very small help needed. Can anyone of you readers tell me if these chapters are viewing properly? Actually I got a text saying that they are unable to view and when I checked, mujhe to hr chapter do baar dikha raha hai. Is anyone else facing reading issues ya phir double-double chapters? I don't want to delete everything and republish it if it is only a specific system glitch and not a problem with everyone.

Thank you.

Loads of love!