Kajal's serpent tail scraped against the marble as she advanced again, her golden scales shimmering like molten fire. Her eyes were fixed only on Yuvaan, the hatred in them ancient and blistering.
Kiara threw herself forward once more, her palms trembling as they pressed against her mother's path.
"Please… don't," she whispered, voice breaking. "Whatever happened that day… whatever pain you suffered… it was Taamsi's doing. All of it. She killed Pramad. She drove Bhoomi Ma mentally unstable. She turned Yuvaan's childhood into a nightmare. She twisted everything… for Kaal. Not Yuvaan."
Kajal's steps halted, but only for a breath… a breath heavy with rage and disbelief.
Kiara's tears clung to her lashes as she continued.
"Yes, Kaal caused destruction. Yes, that darkness lived in him. But Yuvaan has paid for it all. He has suffered more than any of us. Taamsi stole everything from him. His father. His memories. His childhood. His sanity. His peace. He has been fighting her shadows all his life."
For a moment, a silence stretched between them — thick, tense, waiting to snap.
Then Kajal laughed.
A cold, echoing, venom-laced laugh that sliced through Kiara's plea as though it meant nothing at all.
"What kind of Jishwa are you?" she asked, her voice dripping with mocking sweetness. "God's own gift to the Reevavanshis. Born in every era to destroy Kaal. Destined to kill him. And instead… you fell in love with your enemy."
Kiara flinched. The words struck deep, cutting through her heart like ice.
Kajal leaned closer, her serpent eyes unblinking, merciless.
"You were meant to end him. But look at you… standing between him and death. Protecting him. Pleading for him. A Jishwa who loves the monster she was born to kill."
Yuvaan's breath caught, guilt crashing into him from all sides.
Kiara's shoulders trembled as she shook her head, refusing the accusation, refusing to let her love be called a sin.
"He is not the monster," she whispered. "Not anymore."
Kajal's tail coiled tighter, the sound sharp and threatening.
"That is what you believe," she hissed, "because you are blind. Because you are weak. Because you let love corrupt your destiny."
Kiara's tears slipped down her cheeks, but her voice did not break this time.
"I am not weak. And I am not blind. I can see Yuvaan clearly… clearer than anyone ever has. His heart is not Kaal's heart. His soul is not Kaal's soul. I know the difference. And if destiny wants me to walk away from him, then destiny is wrong."
Kajal's fury deepened, a storm forming in her eyes.
The family watched in breathless silence — unsure who would break first, mother or daughter… love or vengeance… destiny or defiance.
Yuvaan took a shaky breath and stepped forward. Each step felt heavier than the last, weighed down by guilt, by memories he could not remember, by sins that did not belong to this lifetime yet clung to him like chains.
Kajal's serpent tail hissed against the floor as she glared at him, ready to strike.
But Yuvaan slowly lowered himself… and fell at her feet.
Everyone gasped.
Kiara's hands flew to her mouth.
Even Kajal froze for a moment, stunned by the sight of the man she wanted to kill bowing before her completely exposed, completely vulnerable.
Yuvaan's voice trembled as he spoke.
"If… if my life is the only way you can find peace, then I won't stop you," he said softly. "But before you end me, let me say something. Let me apologize… not as Kaal… but as Yuvaan."
His forehead touched the ground. His shoulders shook.
"I don't remember the cruelty I committed as Kaal, but I have lived every single day paying for it. Bhoomi mom raised me with fear in her eyes. My father died because of Taamsi's schemes. My childhood was filled with dark shadows I could never escape."
He lifted his head, eyes glistening.
"But then I met Kiara. And she showed me something I didn't know I could ever have — love. She made me believe that I could be better. That I could be someone worthy of this family. That I could leave behind the monster I once was."
Kajal's jaw tightened, but a flicker of conflict shone through her golden eyes.
Yuvaan pressed his palms together in a deep plea.
"Your family… became my family just like the rest of my family. Mom,Moti baa, Uncle Vinod,Aunt Susheela, Angad, Aakash,Riddhi.Father-inlaw Vikram. Varun. Kiara…"
His voice cracked.
"They healed me. They changed me. I swear on everything I have… this lifetime, I have not harmed anyone. This lifetime, I only want to protect Kiara and the people who accepted me."
A tear rolled down his cheek.
"If my past sins still demand punishment… then take my life. I won't run. I won't defend myself. But please… please don't let Kiara suffer for something I didn't even know. She deserves happiness. She doesn't deserve to lose her mother because of me."
The room fell silent again — but this time it trembled with emotion.
Kajal's expression rippled… anger, grief, confusion, motherly pain all colliding violently inside her.
Yuvaan remained at her feet, head bowed, ready for whatever she decided.