Chandrika—Moti Baa—steps forward first.
Her hands tremble ever so slightly as she lifts the silver thaali, its small flame flickering against Kiara and Yuvaan's glowing faces.
"Sit down, dear… the two of you," she whispers, her voice thick with emotion.
Kiara and Yuvaan settle beside each other. Kiara still keeps one hand protectively over her belly, as if reassuring herself this miracle is real. Yuvaan gently covers her hand with his, their fingers lacing together.
Moti Baa circles the aarti before them, her eyes shimmering.
"May no shadow touch your joy… may no nazar ever fall on this child," she murmurs, her voice breaking as she leans forward to kiss Kiara's forehead lovingly.
Kiara's eyes fill again—this time from the weight of blessings.
Next comes Bhoomi — Yuvaan's mother.
Her steps are slow, reverent. She stops in front of the couple and looks at her son first — her eyes softening.
"You grew up so fast, Yuvaan… but today, seeing you like this…" Her voice cracks as she turns to Kiara. "Thank you, beta… for giving our family this happiness."
She circles the aarti like a prayer, tears slipping silently down her cheeks. Kiara immediately grabs her hand, pressing it to her own cheek. Bhoomi bends down to hug her, crying into her hair.
Then Kajal — Kiara's mother — comes forward.
Kajal is already crying before she even lifts the thaali. Her daughter… her little girl… becoming a mother.
She cups Kiara's face first, unable to speak for a moment.
"Kiara…" she finally whispers, "I held you in my arms like this once. And now… you will hold your own child."
Kiara breaks down, folding into her mother's embrace as Kajal performs the aarti around both her daughter and son-in-law, blessing them with a trembling smile.
Last comes Susheela, lovingly and gently.
Her eyes twinkle with maternal warmth as she performs the aarti, murmuring carefully, "May this child always be surrounded by love… just as you two are today."
Yuvaan tightens his arm around Kiara.
Kiara's tears fall freely, her heart full.
The family gathers around them, wrapping them in laughter, blessings, and songs. Confetti still glitters on the floor. The moment feels sacred — a celebration of love, legacy, and the child who has already united everyone.
The family's laughter and songs filled the mansion, the confetti glittering like tiny stars on the polished floor. Kiara and Yuvaan sat in the center, holding each other's hands, hearts still racing with the joy of their newly revealed parenthood.
Then, almost imperceptibly at first, the flame in the aarti thali flickered.
Before anyone could react, the diya went out.
The aarti thali slipped from Chandrika's hands and clattered to the floor, the sound echoing sharply through the hall.
A stunned silence fell over the room.
And then, glass shattered — the large front window and mirrors across the hall exploding outward in a shower of shards.
Yuvaan's instincts kicked in immediately. He stepped in front of Kiara, pulling her close, his arms shielding her. His eyes blazed with a protective fire as everyone froze in shock.
The front door of the mansion burst open violently, and from the darkened threshold, a horde of nightmarish figures poured in.
Yakshas with sinewy forms, their eyes glowing with malevolence. Yakshinis, equally terrifying, with serpentine grace. Daakinis, Chudails, Asuras, and Daayans — all stepping into the hall, their presence heavy, suffocating, each one exuding dark power.
Yuvaan's fingers tightened around Kiara's, their palms pressed together, a silent promise of protection.
Before anyone could react further, the ground beneath the hall began to quake violently. Cracks spread across the marble floor like black veins. Dust fell from the ceiling, and the entire family backed away, terror-stricken.
From the largest fissure, a figure slowly emerged.
A woman, veiled in a black saree, stepped through the rupture in the floor with deliberate poise. Even beneath the veil, the air around her radiated authority and menace. Her aura was cold, commanding — the same woman who had orchestrated Dev's rise, the one he had served.
The family stared, frozen in disbelief.
Yuvaan shifted instinctively in front of Kiara, his jaw set, eyes blazing with defiance.
The mansion, once filled with joy and celebration, was now the stage for an approaching storm of darkness.
The veiled woman paused at the edge of the crack, surveying the family with a calculated, icy calm, as if weighing their worth.
And then, slowly, she raised her hand, and the dark horde behind her moved in unison, their eyes fixed on the couple.
The calm before the storm shattered.