The hall was still, the laughter and clamor of the engagement momentarily hushed. Varun's steps faltered slightly as he glanced at Kiara, her eyes wide, sparkling with disbelief.
"M…Mom?" Kiara's voice trembled, soft and barely audible.
Kajal's lips quivered as tears brimmed in her eyes. "My babies… my loves…" she whispered, opening her arms.
Varun didn't hesitate. He stepped forward first, his hand brushing hers as he wrapped his arms around her. Kajal's hug enveloped him tightly, a hold that spoke of years lost and moments never shared.
Kiara's hesitation melted, and she moved into the embrace next, burying her face into Kajal's shoulder. "I… I thought I'd never see you again," she said, her voice breaking.
Kajal tightened her hold, murmuring in a soothing tone, "I'm here now… I'm here."
Vikram watched from the side, his smile slow, proud, almost reverent. He let a soft sigh escape, relief washing over him.
Yuvaan leaned slightly against the doorway, hands tucked behind him, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips. His gaze softened as he observed the reunion — the kind of smile that said he didn't need words; he felt everything that was happening.
The room was heavy with emotion. A silence that was anything but empty — it was full of love, longing, and the fragile joy of family restored.
Even the faintest movements — a hand tightening, a shoulder pressing closer, a slow blink of disbelief — carried more weight than words ever could.
The engagement hall had finally quieted. Guests had left, the laughter and music replaced by a calm, intimate silence. The soft glow of fairy lights reflected off the walls, giving the room a warm, almost sacred feel.
Kiara sat beside her mother, Kajal, her fingers gently entwined with hers. Her voice trembled, full of emotion. "Mom… I… how… how did you survive all these years? And… how did Dad find you?"
Kajal's eyes glistened, a small, bittersweet smile forming. She inhaled deeply, her gaze drifting to the past as if she were reliving it.
"Fifteen years ago," she began slowly, her voice soft but steady, "we went on a family picnic… you were six, Varun ten… your father and I, we thought it would be a simple, happy day." She paused, swallowing hard as memories flickered across her eyes. "But the dark forces of Kaalvansh… Taamsi and her followers… they attacked us. They wanted to know the identity of the Jishwa."
Kiara's grip tightened on her mother's hand. "But… they didn't know it was me, right?"
Kajal shook her head, her hair catching the soft light. "No… they only knew I knew. They didn't know the child I carried… you… were the Jishwa. Only I could feel your divinity, even then. When you were happy in my womb, flowers bloomed around me… when you were sad, rain fell… I knew… I knew even then that you were special."
Her voice faltered slightly, heavy with the weight of years. "I refused to reveal it… and they… they dragged me into a dark ditch. I thought I was dead. But I wasn't. I was trapped in the shadow realm… fifteen years passed for you all… but for me… it felt like fifteen hours. Hours… that stretched into the longest moments of my life, away from my loved ones, away from my babies."
Kiara's eyes brimmed with tears. "Mom…"
Kajal squeezed her hand, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I survived by sheer will, Kiara. I fought every shadow demon, every dark force trying to break me. And… I started sending signals to your father, subtle, secret messages. He… he never gave up. He never stopped searching. And finally…" She smiled, a mixture of relief and exhaustion, "he found me. He brought me home."
Varun, who had been standing quietly beside them, ran a hand over his face, emotions too heavy to speak. Vikram, standing a few steps behind, exhaled slowly, pride and relief mingling in his expression as he looked at Kajal and his children reunited.
Kiara leaned her head on her mother's shoulder, whispering, "I can't believe you were alone all this time… I… I missed you so much."
Kajal pressed a soft kiss to Kiara's temple. "And I missed you. Every single moment. But look at us now… we're together. Nothing can take this away from us again."
The room felt still, sacred almost, as if even the air was holding its breath. Fifteen years of pain, fifteen years of separation, compressed into one quiet, emotional reunion.