Downstairs, the tension was heavy as Vikram and Varun enveloped Kiara in a tight embrace. Relief poured through their voices, though fear still lingered.
"You're safe, beta," Vikram murmured, brushing her cheek gently.
Kiara gave a faint, weary smile. "I'm fine, Papa… really."
But Varun's relief turned quickly into fury. His eyes hardened, jaw tightening as he turned toward Yuvaan. "You shouldn't have come near her, Yuvaan. Haven't you caused enough damage already?"
Yuvaan's gaze stayed cold, unbothered by Varun's words. "If not for me, she wouldn't even be standing here."
Varun's voice trembled with restrained rage. "And if not for you, she wouldn't have been in danger in the first place!"
Kiara stepped between them, trying to calm the brewing storm. "Varun, stop it! Yuvaan saved my life, he—"
But Varun's anger snapped. "Saved you?" he thundered. "Do you even know what he did fifteen years ago?!"
Kiara froze, her lips parting. "What… what are you talking about?"
Vikram's expression turned grave, but he didn't intervene. Varun's voice cracked with fury and grief as he shouted, "Our mother, Kajal! She died because of him!"
The words struck the room like lightning. Angad and Mishka exchanged stunned looks, while Yuvaan's face darkened.
Kiara's voice trembled. "No… no, that's not true. Yuvaan isn't like that."
Varun's eyes blazed. "Fifteen years ago, when you were just six—Yuvaan or his Kaal Daayans dragged her into the abyss! She was gone in front of my eyes!"
Kiara stumbled backward, her breath shallow. "You're lying…" she whispered.
"Am I?" Varun hissed. "Ask your demon lord!"
Yuvaan stepped forward, tone grave. "Enough, Varun. You don't know the full story—"
But Kiara's emotions boiled over. Betrayal, heartbreak, and confusion twisted inside her chest. In a blinding rush of tears and fury, she grabbed the dagger from Varun's belt and, before anyone could stop her, drove it into Yuvaan's heart.
The room fell deathly silent.
Yuvaan's eyes widened in shock, blood blooming against his shirt. Kiara froze, realizing what she had done, her hands trembling as the dagger slipped from her grip.
At that very moment, the time-freeze shattered — and the family, once frozen in the courtyard, suddenly stirred back to life. Voices filled the air again as they walked toward the hall — only to stop in horror at the sight before them.
Gasps echoed through the mansion. Chandrika dropped her puja thali, its contents spilling across the marble floor. Susheela clutched Vinod's arm, speechless.
Yuvaan stood, his breathing shallow, the dagger buried deep in his chest. Kiara's tears fell freely as her knees buckled. The mansion that moments ago brimmed with life now felt like a tomb echoing with regret and heartbreak.
The dagger gleamed crimson in the dim light as Yuvaan staggered, but somehow — still stood.
Blood seeped slowly from his chest, yet his spine remained straight, defiance etched into every breath he took.
"Yuvaan!" Chandrika cried, rushing forward with Angad by her side. She cupped his face, her tears streaming freely. "What happened, beta?!"
Yuvaan said nothing. His eyes — bright crimson — glowed faintly under the light, and for a heartbeat, silence smothered the room.
Kiara stood a few feet away, her face streaked with tears, trembling… yet her voice emerged sharp, shaking the air.
"Now you all see it, don't you? He's not human."
Everyone turned to her, stunned.
"He's a monster," she continued, her words laced with pain and betrayal. "A demon — that's what he truly is."
The entire family froze.
Susheela gasped audibly, clutching Aakash's arm, while Riddhi pressed close to her parents.
Vinod, ever the calmest, could only stare blankly, lips parting in disbelief.
Kiara's tears didn't stop, but her tone grew colder.
"You were all right about him. He is a cursed child. He ruined everything — his father's death, his mother's madness… everything happened because of him."
Yuvaan finally lifted his gaze, silent, crimson eyes glinting faintly through his tears.
Chandrika shook her head violently. "No! Don't say that, Kiara! Whatever he is — he's still my grandson!"
But Kiara only looked at Yuvaan, heartbreak clouding her expression.
"You deceived me, Yuvaan. You made me believe you were good. But you're just… darkness pretending to love."
Yuvaan slowly grasped the dagger's hilt, pulled it out of his chest — blood dripping steadily — and handed it back to her.
"Then finish it," he said quietly. "If revenge is what you want… I won't stop you. I didn't kill your mother, but her death—" he paused, voice breaking, "—was because of me."
Kiara's fingers tightened around the dagger. "You admit it, then?"
He didn't answer — his silence said enough.
Vikram's face twisted with confusion and anguish, unable to find words.
Varun, who had set this chaos in motion, faltered — he hadn't expected this. He hadn't expected Kiara's rage to burn hotter than his own.
Susheela shivered, her voice trembling. "We've been… harboring a devil all these years."
Chandrika turned on her sharply, eyes fierce despite her tears. "No! Don't call him that! He is my grandson — no matter what blood runs in his veins!"
Her voice cracked as she turned back to Kiara. "Don't be blinded by hate, beta. You love him — don't destroy yourself because of anger. If you raise that dagger again… it won't just wound him. It'll shatter his soul."
Yuvaan stood unmoving, his wound still bleeding — refusing to heal.
"I want to see it," he whispered. "Whether her love is stronger than her hatred."
Kiara's chest heaved. She lifted the dagger once more — her hands shaking but her eyes filled with fury.
"I'll end this," she said through clenched teeth. "I'll end you for what you did to my mother!"
"Kiara, no!" Chandrika screamed.
"Bhabhi, stop!" Angad shouted.
The blade came down —
A flash of light.
Gasps.
Blood splashed across the marble floor — but not Yuvaan's.
Everyone froze.
Because standing before him… shielding him… was another Kiara.
The two women stared at each other — identical, yet different.
The one holding the dagger trembled, tears glistening in her eyes, her voice barely a whisper.
"You will not harm him."
Time itself seemed to halt as both Kiaras locked eyes — one burning with vengeance, the other glowing with fierce, protective light.
And Yuvaan, caught between them, could only stare — astonished — as fate tore reality into two.
To Be Continued...