The terrace felt heavy, the air thick with the remnants of divine energy. Kiara's chest heaved, her eyes blazing as she stared at Dev.
"You were right about yourself," she said slowly, deliberately. Her voice was quiet but each word cut sharper than any sword. "You came here with a plan. First… you pretended to be Ruchi's fiancé, hiding behind lies. And now…" Her lips curled with disgust. "…you're speaking of marriage, trying to manipulate me. It's disgusting."
Dev opened his mouth to speak, but Kiara didn't give him the chance.
"Listen very carefully," she said, her voice low, steady, and unstoppable. "I will never marry you. No matter what you say. No matter what you do. No one has the right to dictate my life."
She turned sharply on her heel, her hair whipping around her shoulders, and stormed back toward the mansion. Her footsteps rang out against the terrace, echoing like a declaration of her will.
Behind her, the family remained frozen, watching in awe and fear, unsure if they should intervene or stay back. Dev stood there, silent, the fading embers of his Agnishwa power flickering at his fingertips, a storm of fury and disbelief flashing in his eyes.
---
Meanwhile, deep in the labyrinthine cave, Varun trudged forward with deliberate frustration. Each twist, turn, and dead end gnawed at his patience.
"This forest… no, this cave!" he muttered through gritted teeth, kicking a jagged wall in anger. His fist connected with the stone, a sharp crack echoing through the tunnels, and he staggered back, clutching his hand as pain lanced up his arm.
Dilruba's eyes widened with concern. "V! Are you okay? That really looked bad!"
Varun gritted his teeth, brushing dust from his sleeves, his jaw tight. "We have to get out. I need to reach the Cave of Answers. I don't care how long this labyrinth keeps shifting, I'm not turning back."
Seeing his determination, Dilruba's expression softened. She stepped closer, her voice gentle but firm. "Then let me help you. I think I can guide us. Look carefully—see that wall over there?" She gestured toward a slab marked with an ancient sigil glowing faintly in the dim cave light. "That's the path. That's the only way forward."
Varun's eyes narrowed as he studied it, a flicker of hope mixed with caution crossing his face. Together, they began searching, tracing the walls and floors for the sigil that could finally lead them out.
The labyrinth was silent around them, but the sense of destiny and danger pressed heavily against their backs.
And in that moment, both knew the path forward wouldn't be simple—or safe.
Scene: Yuvaan's Room —
The room felt colder than before…
as if Yuvaan's absence of consciousness had seeped into the walls themselves.
Kiara sat beside him, but not close enough to touch.
A whole arm's length separated them—
a distance that felt more unbearable than any curse.
Yuvaan lay still, his breathing shallow, his skin strangely pale.
Not sick…
Not injured…
Just caught in that unnatural space where only divine rules exist.
Kiara wrapped her arms around herself, fighting the instinct to hold him, shake him, wake him—
but she couldn't.
One touch, even a brush of her fingertip, would send a jolt of pain through him.
So she sat frozen, hands trembling in her lap.
"Why does fate do this to us?" she whispered.
Her voice was soft… and breaking.
Her eyes lingered on his hand, lying inches away—
just inches.
A distance so small, yet impossible to cross.
She exhaled shakily, clenching her fists so she wouldn't reach for him.
"Why is our love always the one punished?"
Her words cracked at the end.
"Why him? Why now?"
She leaned forward—not enough to touch, just enough to feel his breath on her palms held near him.
But even that was risky.
Even proximity made her heart race with fear of hurting him.
The door opened quietly.
Vikram paused at the threshold the moment he saw her—
his daughter sitting rigid, tears at the edge of her lashes,
reaching for Yuvaan without reaching.
"Kiara…" his voice was soft, almost a whisper.
She didn't turn immediately.
She took one long, shaky breath before speaking.
"Papa…"
Another breath.
"He isn't waking up."
Vikram walked closer cautiously, making sure he didn't disturb the fragile invisible boundary Kiara had drawn around Yuvaan.
She finally looked up, eyes glistening.
"Papa, I… I can't even touch him," she said in a strangled voice.
"If I hold his hand… it hurts him. If I go too close… his body trembles. What am I supposed to do? How do I save him when I can't even touch him?"
Her self-control snapped; a tear slipped down her cheek.
Vikram knelt beside her.
He didn't attempt to hug her—Kiara had withdrawn into a delicate emotional shell—but he gently placed his hand on the bed, close enough to offer strength, far enough not to disturb her grief.
"Kiara," he said quietly, "we will find a way."
She shook her head in frustration.
"Papa, you don't understand… Dev said Yuvaan is dying because of me."
Vikram's jaw clenched.
He inhaled deeply, steadying himself before he spoke.
"Yuvaan is dying because of a rule," he corrected firmly. "A rule we did not know. A rule Dev twisted and used. None of this is your fault."
Kiara's lip trembled.
She blinked rapidly, trying to stop more tears.
"Papa, please…" her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Find a cure. Please save him."
Vikram nodded slowly, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder.
"I promise you," he said, voice low and resolute, "I will not let anything happen to Yuvaan. I will search every scripture, every temple, every divine contact I have. I will not stop."
Kiara closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her throat.
Vikram stood, his posture stiff with determination, and left the room quietly.
The silence returned—heavy and aching.
Kiara lowered her hands to hover above Yuvaan's chest, her palms trembling inches above him.
"I'm right here," she whispered, her voice soft and shattered.
"I can't touch you… but I'm right here."
She stayed that way—close enough to feel his faint warmth, far enough not to hurt him—
loving him from a distance that felt like punishment itself.
To be continued...