Bhanumati followed her inside, a cold dread creeping into her heart. Madhumati didn’t remember. She had no memory of the deal, the transformation, anything. It was as if it had never happened.
And then, the doorbell rang.
Madhumati’s eyes lit up. "He's here!" she squealed, rushing to the door.
Bhanumati held her breath. Standing on the porch was a young man, tall and handsome, with kind eyes and an easy smile. He looked vaguely familiar, almost… hauntingly so.
He was introduced as Krishna. He used to be Krishnavenni. Madhu's crush was now a male, unaware of the pact that changed their lives.
As Madhumati ushered Krishna into the house, chattering excitedly about the garland she had made, Bhanumati watched them, a chilling realization dawning in her mind. The entity hadn't just changed their genders. It had rewritten their memories, their realities. And she was the only one who remembered the truth. The only one who knew that beneath the serene surface, something deeply, unnervingly wrong was unfolding.