✨ Pratap Singh Mansion — The Shattering Hour ✨
The soft morning light filtered through the grand windows of the Pratap Singh mansion, but Kiara barely noticed. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as she approached the bedroom where Yuvaan lay unconscious, pale and still.
Then she saw it.
A shock of white streaked through his dark hair, spreading rapidly like frost creeping over stone. Her eyes widened, and a low gasp escaped her lips.
"Yuvaan!" she cried, rushing to his side, kneeling beside him without touching. Her hands hovered, trembling.
"Someone… help!" she shouted, her voice cracking.
Within moments, the rest of the family arrived. Their faces were etched with alarm, their footsteps hurried—but there was a strange stiffness, a careful calibration to their expressions, as if something unseen guided their reactions.
Bhoomi fell to her knees, clutching Kiara's hands with desperation that seemed almost too perfect.
"Kiara… my son… you must save him," she begged, her voice thick with emotion, eyes glistening with tears.
Kiara shook her head, a lump forming in her throat. "I… I don't know how, mother-in-law. I'm trying—"
Vikram stepped forward, his normally commanding presence shadowed by an uncharacteristic strain. His gaze locked onto Kiara with unnerving intensity.
"Kiara," he said slowly, measured, "Dev is right. If you do not marry him… Yuvaan will die. In four hours… he will be gone."
Time seemed to stop. Kiara's chest tightened, her breath faltering. Four hours. That was all she had.
She sank to her knees beside Yuvaan, tears streaming freely. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Her mind screamed, yet a part of her refused to yield.
"I… I can't… I—"
Bhoomi's voice pierced through her storm of thoughts. "Please, Kiara! I am begging you! Save my son!"
Kiara's gaze drifted to Yuvaan, his unconscious face pale and fragile, hair now almost completely white. Her body shook with the weight of impossible choice, the crushing pressure of fate pressing down on her.
And then, through tears and heartbreak, she whispered, trembling:
"Alright… I will… I will marry Dev… if it's the only way to save you, Yuvaan…"
Her voice cracked. Her tears fell freely, each one a tiny testament to her grief, her love, her helplessness.
From the shadowed corner of the room, Dev watched silently. His lips curved into a subtle, triumphant smirk. The gleam in his eyes was sharp, predatory, utterly controlled. Every inch of his posture screamed satisfaction—the plan unfolding exactly as he intended.
Kiara didn't see it, couldn't feel it, but the air in the room seemed heavier now, charged with an invisible tension that whispered of dark schemes and powers beyond mortal reach.
Her decision was made, but at what cost?
✨ Forest Path — Departing the Cave of Answers ✨
Varun and Dilruba emerged from the mouth of the cave, the cool air of the forest brushing against their skin. The sunlight filtered through the canopy, dappled and soft, but the weight of what they had witnessed inside the cave still pressed heavily on Varun's mind.
Dilruba slowed her pace, glancing at him with a small, teasing smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"You know," she said softly, almost as if to herself, "I can help you."
Varun frowned, arching an eyebrow. "And why exactly would you want to help me?"
Her lips curled into a delicate, mischievous giggle. "Because… I like you."
Varun blinked, caught off guard by the sudden confession. He stared at her for a long moment, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. Then, after a pause, he exhaled and nodded slowly.
"Fine," he said, his voice calm but firm. "You can help me."
He extended his hand, steady despite the lingering tension, and she hesitated only a heartbeat before placing hers into his.
Their fingers intertwined, a quiet connection sparking between them.
Together, they began to walk, their steps carefully measured, moving through the forest that seemed to hum with ancient energy. Shadows of the trees stretched long and quiet across the path, the soft rustle of leaves their only companion.
For the first time since entering the cave, Varun allowed himself a small sense of hope, tempered by the uncertainty that lingered in every glance exchanged with Dilruba.