A week had passed since Mahnoor and Rudra had sealed their forbidden union. In the hidden chambers they now called home, they were shielded from the outside world. Mahnoor found herself adjusting, in her own way, to the dangerous and unpredictable nature of her new life with the prince of the naags. They had settled into a peculiar routine, an odd intimacy blooming between them despite their past antagonisms. Yet, something always loomed in the background, the weight of their uncharted future hanging over them.
It was a calm afternoon, the air thick with the scent of sandalwood from the incense Rudra often burned. Mahnoor had been lying on the bed, absentmindedly tracing patterns on the silk sheets when she suddenly felt a strange tug, a pulling sensation deep in her abdomen. Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach, pressing against it as if trying to ease the feeling.
Rudra was standing across the room, leaning against the stone wall, when he noticed her expression shift. His sharp eyes immediately darkened with concern. "Mahnoor, what's wrong?"
She sat up abruptly, her face scrunched in discomfort. "I don't know, it's like—" Before she could finish her sentence, the tug became stronger, more insistent. It wasn't just discomfort anymore. It was pain, a deep, primal ache that seemed to radiate from her core.
Suddenly, as if some invisible force took hold of her, Mahnoor's body lurched forward toward Rudra. Their bodies slammed together, her abdomen pressing firmly against his. The sensation was overwhelming—her breath hitched, and her heartbeat spiked. Rudra's arms instinctively wrapped around her, his hands gripping her tightly. The force between them was undeniable, as if the universe itself had tethered them together.
The glow came next.
Mahnoor's eyes widened as the mani—Rudra's nagmani—began to radiate through his chest. Its light was so intense, it was almost blinding. She gasped as she felt its power seep into her, a burning, searing energy that spread from Rudra's chest to hers, pulsing in rhythmic waves. Her eyes met his, both of them sharing the same shock.
"What the—" Rudra muttered, his voice heavy with confusion, "This... this isn't supposed to happen!"
Before he could react further, Mahnoor screamed. Her hands, once resting on his shoulders, clutched at him with desperate force, her nails digging into his skin. The mani—his royal birthright, the source of his immense power—was leaving him, pushing out of his body and entering hers.
The pain was unbearable. She clung to him, her entire body trembling uncontrollably. It felt like her very soul was being invaded by something ancient and incomprehensible. Her abdomen throbbed, the fiery sensation racing through every nerve in her body.
"I have no idea what's happening!" Rudra growled, his tone more panicked than she had ever heard. His grip on her tightened as if afraid to let go, afraid that she might be torn apart by whatever was taking over. "Maybe I should talk to my mother now! She would know—"
But before he could finish his sentence, a terrifying sight appeared. From behind Mahnoor's head, something began to materialize. At first, it was just a shadow, a dark form growing larger and more pronounced. Then, with a bone-chilling hiss, the creature emerged fully—a five-headed Shesh Naagin, its massive hood flaring behind her like a dark, royal crown.
The creature's heads coiled and writhed, its emerald eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. Each head seemed to move independently, flicking its forked tongues as if sensing the air around them. It was as if the Shesh Naagin had come out of her neck, a grotesque and awe-inspiring manifestation of something far beyond human understanding.
Rudra's blood ran cold at the sight. He stumbled back slightly, eyes wide in horror and disbelief. "Mahnoor... what is this?"
But Mahnoor couldn't answer. The pain had reached its peak, and all she could do was cling to him, her nails now drawing blood from his shoulders. The Shesh Naagin coiled protectively around her, its massive heads surveying the room, a primal energy radiating from its form. It was a display of ancient power, something far older and more terrifying than Rudra had ever seen.
Suddenly, Mahnoor's body went limp, collapsing against him. The glow of the mani dimmed, retreating into her abdomen where it seemed to settle. Her breathing was labored, her skin slick with sweat as if she had just fought an impossible battle. The five-headed serpent, sensing her exhaustion, seemed to retreat slightly, its heads lowering protectively behind her, almost as if standing guard.
Rudra, still reeling from the shock of what had just transpired, held her close. His mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. The mani—his mani—was now inside her. The symbol of his royal bloodline, the source of his power, had chosen Mahnoor, a human, to hold it. And the Shesh Naagin... it was something he had only heard of in legends, the protector of royal bloodlines, but never had he seen it manifest in such a way.
"Mahnoor?" he whispered, gently brushing a strand of damp hair from her face. Her eyes fluttered open, dazed and filled with fear. She looked up at him, her voice barely audible.
"What... what just happened?"
"I don't know," Rudra admitted, his voice hollow. "But this... this is beyond anything I've ever seen."
He gently laid her down, careful to avoid disturbing the massive serpent that now loomed behind her. The Shesh Naagin wasn't attacking, but its presence was a constant reminder of the immense power now connected to Mahnoor. This was no ordinary union, no ordinary mating. Something far deeper, far more ancient had been awakened within her.
Rudra stood, his hands trembling as he backed away slightly. "I need answers," he muttered to himself, pacing the room. "My mother... my father... someone must know what this means."
But even as he said the words, he knew that whatever had just occurred, it was unprecedented. Not even the royal family, with all their ancient knowledge and power, could have foreseen this.
Mahnoor's voice broke through his thoughts, weak but determined. "Rudra... what am I?"
He turned to her, his expression softening as he knelt beside her once again. He placed a hand on her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath his palm. "You are more than I ever imagined," he whispered, his voice laced with awe. "You are no longer just my mate, Mahnoor. You are... something else entirely."
The room was filled with an eerie silence, the presence of the Shesh Naagin looming behind them like a dark omen of things to come.
And for the first time in his life, Rudra felt truly uncertain of what lay ahead.