First Sunday without our Vani and Naagin 5 💔. I thought I should upload a chapter early just for this void so here it is!

Recap: Vani visit Naglok and meet Bela- the Nagrani. Daksh, Ponky and Pawan find more about the magical herb and its cure. They have cornered Shukla.

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D: Ab tera kya hoga takle?

Shukla gulped but there was nothing major that he could do given his age. What have him an upper hand was his knowledge but he was shocked to see the Singhanias immune to it.

S: Kon-kon ho tum log? Tum cheel to nahi ho skte! Kahin tum sb bh-bhoot to nahi..

Ponky: arey ye toh dar gaya dad!

Pawan: haan dekh paseena nikal raha hai

Shukla gulped. They were standing, blocking the only exit and somehow were immune to his weapons. He was truly trapped. He tried his last weapon- fake tears.

S: arey singhania sahab! Mai lalchi ho gaya tha, us adi naag ne mujhe vash me kr liya tha...maine itne saalon tk apke parivaar ki khidmat ki hai...mujhe chod do..

Ponky: chal be...jhutte ...

D: Mujhe iski baat pr bilkul bharosa nahi hai

Pawan: ruko baccho...uski baat to suno

Ponky: seriously dad?

Shukla saw this as an opportunity.

S: Pawan sahab!...aap samjhiye mujhe...

Pawan: haan Shukla...

He approached Shukla and gave him a side hug. Daksh and Ponky were fuming and confused but suddenly Pawan snapped his neck and Shukla fell to the ground.

Pawan: and this is for my son you killed. Backstabber!

Ponky sighed in relief. He thought his dad was going bonkers for a second. Daksh went and checked that Shukla was infact dead. The burnt his body; not out of respect but to remove any evidence.

Ponky: ye to gaya...ab?

D: abhi ke liye we stay hidden but keep track of that Naag. Try getting leads on him.

Pawan: haan, uske liye ab sabhi ki maut ho chukka hai, so we should not come in front of him and stay hidden while trying to get leads.

They change roop and fly away.

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Vani had been travelling for a while now. Bani was in Veer's arms as they flew to a temple. It was a magical one. For ages many nags and naagins had lost lives to decode it but its myth remained intact. Even the Sarvashresth Adi Naagin knew only a part of that mystery and that was the maximum any Naagin alive ever knew.

B: Bs yahin...wahan dekh raho...wahan utarna hai.

Vani got down and went towards the temple. They stood before the idol and asked for its blessing. Veer sat praying while Bani bowed down for one last time.

B: You know what I want. I want to know why is it happening to me. Help me!

Bani began to dance. A tandav that was as magical as her. A movement that no nag, naagin had ever seen. It was very ancient, probably as old as her soul- her former self. She performed it with devotion. Sweat beads began to rise on her forehead and suddenly a ring of fire appeared, encircling her.

V: BANI!

B: shh- It is working. The temple has acknowledged me.

Veer couldn't just stand there while Bani laboured for hours. He entered the ring and began mirroring her moves. The very core of the temple shook as a historical sight repeated itself. A Cheel was dancing like a saathi of Naagin. Bani's heart swelled with love as they offered their prayers through the tandav for hours.

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Vani had been going on for hours when the temple spoke.

T: Sarvashresth Adi Naagin! Mandir aapse prasana hua. Cheelon ke Rajkumar! Apne jo aaj kr dikhaya hai- vo swayam me ek missal hai. Kahiye kya chahiye?

B: Hey bholenath! Aap to jaante hai ki paristithi kaisi hai...mujhe khud ko mille shrap ke baare me sb jaana hai...poori kahani jaani hai.

V: aur...hume ye bhi jaana hai ki bani ke sath ye naainsafi kyu ho rahi hai...uski shaktiyan aise transfer kaise? Kyu? Aur kissi ko toh nahi hoti

B: Veeranshu!

T: Mai apki bhawna samjahta hoon Cheelon ke Rajkumar. Aap dono ki baat ka uttar aapko awashya milega.

Suddenly, a bright light emerges out of the trishul and both of them faint. The unconscious lovers laid there in each other's arms while their souls travelled eons ago to witness a story.

Veer opened his eyes to see that he was lying in a forest. He rubbed his eyes and got up.

V: Bani! Sweetheart kahan ho tum?

He saw a group of men. They must be villagers given their very traditional attire. Veer went to them.

V: excuse me? Hello? Apne meri wife ko dekha hai yahan...vo yahi ...ek minute...hello?

To Veer's surprise, the ignored him and left. He saw another man come their way and he rushed to talk to him but he was shocked to see that the man went right through him.

V: Ye kaise? Oh god! Bani!!

He ran around and luckily saw Bani. She was lying on the ground next to a rock. Veer went to her and gently woke her up.

B: Veeranshu? Hum to mandir me they na? Ye yahan kaise?

Suddenly they heard a new voice....

A girl was standing in a beautiful brown-pink attire and calling out her lover.

Girl: Hriday? Kahan ho tum?

V: Nageshwari?!

Vani looked at each and realized they are now visiting the past to know what exactly happened, to witness the whole thing. They noticed Akesh look at Nageshwari. His face showed awe and love- he was smitten by her. They witnessed the exchange.

V: Dil to ana hi tha...khoobsorati dekho Nageshwari ki

B: accha!

Bani gritted her teeth while Veer kissed her Cheeks.

V: Khud se kon jalta hai gharwali?

B: I am not jealous. Waise Akesh bhi....actually no! Is chehre se mujhe Shakura ki yaad ati aati hai... (she shuddered as to shove off the bad memories)

V: Saale us Khoore ne meri image kharab kr di.

B: shh ...bs ab..

V: Tumhare bholenath ko popcorn to de kr bhejna tha sweetheart.

B: Veer-

Veer put a finger on his mouth, indicating that he will shut up now. They saw the exchange between Nageshwari, Hriday and Akesh. Nageshwari like Bani was innocent. She didn't want to Akesh unless she saw him worthy of offence but Hriday attacked him and sent him off. He was guided by old enmity.

V: What sad choice gharwali...akesh se zyada tumhe ye pasand aya?

B: Nageshwari was committed and she was loyal! Okay?

V: Mtlb dil to fisla tha bs control kr liya...haye!

B: shut up!

V: Mai tumhe dekhne ke baad apne kamre me chala gaya tha..

B: Aur mai mandir chali gayi thi...mahautsav ki tayari dekhne

V: Ye dhabewala kahan gaya hoga...let's follow him.

Vani followed him. Hriday led them to a cave where what they saw shook them to their core.

V: Ye toh?

B: I know!

V: Shukla Saala humesha se dhoka kr raha tha...hr yug se!

Shukla and Hriday met like old friends and plans. Vani heard them plot. Hriday said he wanted to kill Nageshwari as she was more powerful. After her death, he would automatically become more powerful then everyone else. He traded nagmani with Shukla if he could get Cheels to attack the temple so that he could kill Nageshwari while she would be distracted and blame her death on the attack.

B: Usne...usne sauda kia...Nagmani ka? Nag vansh ko bech daala...chi!

Veer kept a hand on her shoulder for support.

V: Shukla ko bhi dekho na...kaisa lalchi hai...Bani, mera vishvas karo. Akesh ko sirf Nageshwari chahiye thi pr ye nagmani lane ke liye cheelo ko le jaane ki shart dad ne rakhi thi. Pakka issi ne mind wash kiya hoga. Aur naag nagino pr attack krna bhi akesh ke plan ka hissa nahi tha...

Bani nodded and hugged him. They both knew what happened in the story of Akesh and Nageshwari and continued following Hriday. They witnessed his jealousy against Nageshwari while her eyes only held love. He was greeted by people but he only saw people bow down to Nageshwari and clenched his hand with anger every time rather than blessing those who adored him.

V: Sahi naam rakha tha maine...jal kukda!

Veer kept a hand on Bani everytime. Knowing that Nageshwari burnt for a man who didn't give any care about her hurt her. She wasted ages for such a man when she could have had great love in Satyug too.

They saw Hriday sneak out of the temple and followed him. At a distance, they saw Akesh and his Cheels. Akesh told them to come later and leave. Hriday saw Akesh leave and approached those Cheels.

H: Tumhe pata hai na kya krna hai?

Cheels: Naag Naagino ko maarna hai, dawat hai aaj humari!

H: Haan pr..mujhe nahi maarna

Cheel: pata hai...nahi marenge

H: Pakadne ka natak krna...aur tumhare guru ne vo khanjar diya..

Cheel: haan...ye lo....kaise gareeb ho tum nag vansh wale...ek khanjar nahi hai..

H: murk! Isme khas zeher laga hua hai, aur isse abhimantrik kiya gaya hai.. isse Adi Naagin mar jayegi..

Cheel: Ab sbse shaktishali hai to khas hathiyar lagega hi

H: hai nahi...kuch hi der me thi... (laughs and leaves)

Unknown to them but visible to Vani; Akesh had heard this exchange.

B: Tum- Tum jaante they..

V: Why do you think I killed him? I knew my Cheels were only pretending to hold him so I threw my khanjar at him. It was very powerful as well. Mera hathiyar tha after all. Hriday died.

B: aur maine...Maine tumhe galat samjha..

They then witnessed what happened at the temple. Hriday getting killed and Nageshwari killing Akesh. Actually, Akesh couldn't die by falling off from a height. He could fly! He changed roop and flew back in only to see Nageshwari kill herself. The shock of her death caused him to change back to human form and resume falling but this time, he didn't try to save himself.

Vani had tears in their eyes. They heard a voice.

"ab samjhi aap?"

They looked to see that it was panditayan, or rather her old form.

B: Panditayan ji? Aap hume dekh paa rahi hoon..

P: Ji! Aur mujhe pata hai aap yahan kaise aayi.

B: Ji

P: Ab aapne apni poori kahani jaan li hai. Apko shrap Naagon ko baacha pane me asamarth hone se nahi milla tha. Balki isliye milla kyunki aap apne sahi jeevan sathi ko pehchan na saki aur na hi aas pass ho rahe dhoke ko. Aapne apne hi nirdosh sathi ki hatya ki. Isliye apko shrap milla ki aap kissi bhi cheel pr uske pehle vaar krne tk vaar nahi kr skti taki aap bina sach jaate doobara galti na dohraye. Aur apko ab apni rah khud banana thi, isliye is shrap ki teh tk pahunchne se pehle humme se kissi ka bhi apki madad krna varjit tha...aur apki shaktiyon pr bhi iska asar hua...aapki shaktiyon se jalan thi Hriday ko, jo aap aap dekh bhi nahi payi...apne na apna sathi pehchana aur na hi Bholenath ki iccha anusar Chandrakala ka vadh kiya...isliye apki shaktiyan bhi shrap grast ho gayi..

Vani nodded in understanding.

B: Iska upay

P: Apne apne etihas ke saare panne aaj padh liye hai, isliye aap shrap mukt hui!

V: Kya? Mtlb ab Bani ki shaktiyan poori tarah se ussi ki ho gayi hai...

P: Unki shaktiyan utni hi unki hai jitni apki shaktiyan apki hai...

Veer hugged Bani in excited while the mandir faded in the background.

Vani woke up gasping. They looked at each other.

V: Kya tumne dekha?

B: Vo sab? Satyug?

They hugged each other. They were glad that they knew their whole story now. Bani had misunderstood the cause of her curse all this while.

V: Ab uss dhabewale ki to khair nahi!

Veer muttered as they exited the temple.

B: Haan! Usse pehle ek kaam aur hai bs

V: Kya?

Bani smiled and pulled him by collar roughly and whispered against his lips.

B: This

And she smashed her soft lips to his slightly parted and shocked ones.

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I started this story for all the action that I wished would have happened. I hated seeing two supreme powers of two clans run away like they were humans. I wanted to see them defeat their demons and wanted Singhanias in powerful role as well.

Thoughts?

Precap: A battle

xoxo