Akesh was pacing in his room. His heart felt at peace but restless at the same time. He felt a connection with Nageshwari. He wanted her, loved her. He could do anything for her. Kill or get killed. His own emotions scared him. How could he feel so strongly for a woman he just met? His father saw his son a little lost and came there.

AF: Putra? Akesh? Kahan khoye hue ho?

A: Us husnpari ke khayalon me...kya jadoo thi vo?

AF: Kon? Humare kul ki hai? Tu bol aur vo teri..

A: Nahi, Meri to vo hai hi, uska dil mai jeet kr rahunga pr aise khareedi nahi jaa skti vo....vo sbse khaas hai...meri Nageshwari..

AF: Nageshwari? Ye kaise naam hai? Naam se to naagin lgti hai..

A: Sirf Naagin nahi hai vo, sarvashresth Adi Naagin hai...vardaan pane wali pehli Naagin.

AF: Tera dimag kharab hai? Tu pakka din me bahar gaya tha na? Mana kiya hai tujhe! Sunta kyu nahi hai? Vo teri nahi ho skti...

A: Nahi...vo sirf meri hai...mujhe koi fark nahi padta ki Nageshwari kya hai ..kon hai...vo acchi hai...mera dil jeet liya hai usne aur mujhe ab koi aur nahi chahiye...

Akesh's father was about to protest when their kul guru approached them. He heard their conversation and took the king aside.

KG: Meri baat suniye...jaise mai krta hoon, krte jaiye aur Akesh khud hi usse door ho jayega aur saath hi saath Nag kul bhi barbaad ho jayega...

AF: kya? Tune koi yojna banai hai?

KG: Ji...samaye ane pr sb khul jayegi pr abhi ke liye aap rajkumar ki mohabbat ko swikriti de dijiye parantu ye kehkr ki ...(whispers something)

Akesh father come to him.

AF: Akesh! Tu mujhe sabse pyaara hai isliye mujhe koi eiteraaz nahi hai teri mohabbat se...tere liye vo bhi swikar hai lekin tu to jaanta hi hai ki vo humare dushman kul ki hai..

A: Vo is dushmani ko nahi manti ...

AF: Lekin uska kull to manta hai na...isliye, uski swikriti ke bina tu usse nahi layega...usse manayega, usse bina uski marzi utha mt lana...kahin jung na chir jaye..

A: Waah! Umeed nahi thi aap aisa kahoge pr aap nahi bhi kehte to bhi mai Nageshwari ke saath koi zabardasti nahi krta...

Akesh went away happily. The kul Guru came into view.

AF: ab?

KG: ab aap mujhpr chor dijiye...

AF: Jo bhi krna hai, sambhal kr krna...mere bete ko kuch nahi hona chahiye...smjha na....

KG: Ji..

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

Nageshwari reached the spot where she had heard Hriday from but it felt like he was hiding from her. She ran around for him.

N: Tum bhi kaise khel khelte ho! Kahan ho Hriday?

Hriday who was hiding behind a trunk was actually trying to school his envious expressions and master those of love. Suddenly Nageshwari came in front of him.

N: Dhund lia maine tumhe akhir kar...

Hriday tried to give her a look of love but to Nageshwari it looked constipated. She frowned.

N: Tum thik to ho na?

H: haan...haan...mujhe kya hua hai...kaha thi tum?

N: Bs is jungle ko nihaar rahi thi...insaano ki tarah bhaag rahi tha...do pairon pr kaise lgta hai, mehsoos kr rahi thi.

It wasn't a lie. Nageshwari had rushed out to experience this but she was vary of telling Hriday about Akesh; she knew Nags didn't accept Cheels and she didn't know if Hriday was different. She also got weird vibes off Hriday but digested it down. After a while, she left to go to Nag Temple.

Hriday clenched his fist and sat down.

KG: kabhi kissi premi ko aise apni premika ko dekhte nahi dekha....is pyaar ko naam doon?

H: Nafrat!

He said and turned. He noticed a Cheel standing on a tree branch.

H: Kyun aye ho yahan? Jante ho na ye Naagon ki jagah hai...

KG: Tumhare kaam ke liye aya hoon...

H: Kya? Ek cheel mujhe kya de skta hai..

KG: Shaktiyan!

H: Mai pehle hi tujhse kai zyada shaktishali hoon...adi nag hoon mai..

KG: Lekin adi naagin ki shaktiyan mill jaye tumhe to?

H: Jo shaktiyan uski hai, vo mujhe kaise mil sakti hai? Uski shaktiyan shrapit ho jaye to aise ho skta hai ..

KG: ek aur tareeka hai...

The kul guru have Hriday a dagger. He told him that when the planetary movements are right and on a certain night, if he kills Nageshwari with it, he will absorb her powers. He told that in return he wants the Nagmani. Hriday promised that if he is successful in killing Nageshwari, he will hand over the nagmani to him.

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

The pandit and panditayan were going through texts and studying charts when the panditayan pointed out something.

P: Iska mtlb samajhte hai na aap?

Pt: haan lekin? Aisa kyu?

P: Jo Bholenath ki marzi..

The pandit couple took the scripts to elders of the nag clan. According to them, Nageshwari's partner should not be chosen by any other nag or nagin but herself only. Some thought that since Hriday was chosen for her, she would also pick him at the end of the day as she grew up thinking of him at her saathi but most said that she should still be aware of having a choice. One of the elders thought that since all are allotted as a couple from birth, there is no use of giving a choice to Nageshwari as only available Nag would be Hriday. However the pandit pointed out that maybe Nageshwari will pick a nag from another kul or whoever she picks as a partner will accept her too and the Naagin he was initially paired with can pair up with Hriday.

Hriday heard of this conversation and joined in. He said that he did not mind it as he was not greedy for the power of Adi Nag that came with it but he wanted to break this news to Nageshwari himself. The elders agreed and everyone left. The panditayan turned to see Hriday's cunning expressions and frowned.

P: (thinks) mujhe kyu inke irade acche nahi lagte...kya mujhe khud hi adi naagin ko sb bata dena chahiye?

H: (thinks) bs do din tk ye baat Nageshwari ko pata nahi chale to accha hoga...phir mai usse kissi bahane se bulaunga ko maar dunga...

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

It was a pleasant afternoon. Nageshwari slowly slithered her way to the spot where she saw Akesh first at and hid herself. Unknown to her, Akesh had already reached the place hours ago and had hidden himself. He noticed her hiding herself and smiled at her antics. He flew up and took a circle. He then landed to make it look like he just flew in.

He pretended to look around and feel disappointed and started to leave. Nageshwari saw this and wrapped her tail around his claws and pulled him back in. They both took human form.

N: Do pal bhi ruk nahi skte they?...agar mujhe ane me der ho gayi hoti to tum to bhaag jaate..?

Akesh laughed at her cute angry expression. Qayamat ho tum Nageshwari lekin Qayamat ko gussa bhi krna nahi aata. He then told her how he was hiding and saw her do the same. She blushed. Akesh sat on a rock and Nageshwari sat on another rock in front of it. He asked her how her day had been and Nageshwari was surprised. She did not know what to say because as simple as this question was, she had never told anyone these things. Nobody had cared enough to know.

All her life, she was alone. Her parents had left her at the steps of nag temple when she young and never returned. The pandit couple had raised her. She had spent her life devoted to Bholenath and even when Hriday knew she was his partner, he had never really gotten to know her. He never played with her or spoke to her. They often nodded at each other when their paths met but he told her friend that he will speak to her when they both come of age, till then he did not want to bother her and have both their lives filled with experiences without pressure. Nageshwari thought that was kind but wished he would at least be a friend. Then she saved her people and was made adi naagin by bholenath and now she was supposed to protect her clan, power-wise held a supreme position. This made her the care taker but the naagin in her too needed someone to take care of her.

So, she was pleasantly surprised by the amount of care Akesh showed. They spoke for a while when Akesh told her he wondered what it was like to be snake. Nageshwari tried to explain it to him but he urged her to transform. She did. Somehow, she wasn't scared of him. Akesh sat on her back and asked her to move. Nageshwari gave him a look of question but he sat on her back in his cheel roop and gave a hoot.

N: (thinks) ziddi!

She moved and Akesh hooted happily.

After a while they both took their roops. Nageshwari threw a small pebble at him.

N: Mujhe kya samjha hai tumne...aaj kuch nahi kaha maine lekin aise phir nahi hoga...samjhe na...

Akesh held her hand and pulled her to him. Her soft frame clashed with his and he lifted her up.

N: Ye kya kar rahe ho?

A: Hisab barabar!

He said and spread his wings. He flew up into the sky, Nageshwari in his arms. Her wide eyes took in his face and then her surroundings. She did not know if she should be angry or amazed but after a while, chose the latter and relaxed looking at the earth from the sky the first time while Akesh felt a strange happiness in his cold heart. It felt warmed up looking at her, sitting with a dazzled expression in his arms. They both continued in their own thoughts blissfully.

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

xoxo

I got messages regarding happy endings and continuation of this part into Vani's story. So I am replying to all of it here instead of writing separately to all.

1. If Akeshwari had a happy ending in satyug; we wouldn't have had Vani is kalyug. However, I will give you guys certain ending choices. Please pick and let me know. I will continue with the popular choice.

2. If I continue this story into Vani's, the dynamics will be very different as in this story I am planning Nageshwari to realise Hriday's cunningness. If it continued to Vani; Bani would not hate Veer at first sight and it would be love from both sides. That would shift the plot. Therefore, I am going to end this track on Akeshwari. However, I can write a small epilogue like OS on how the dynamics would have been in kalyug if satyug was like this. I am not keen on it as it won't have a lot of parallels with the show and would be confusing according to me.

Now, time for choices. I won't reveal the whole plot, just a gist.

a. Hriday plans to kill Nageshwari in the temple. Nageshwari realizes Akesh's feelings and Hriday's truth. ( Something like series' temple scene but different) Nageshwari kills herself for Akesh.

b. Nageshwari and Akesh accept their love and plan to unite. Hriday stirs troubles with the help of others from his clan. Akeshwari are together but fail unite, promising return.