The moonlight was calm again. The red hue that once cursed the skies had faded into silver peace.
Gauri's body went limp, her divine glow fading, and she collapsed into Vihaan's arms. He caught her before she touched the ground, whispering her name in panic. Chandni placed a gentle hand over Vihaan's shoulder, her expression serene yet weary.
"The curse of the Red Moon is broken," Chandni said softly, her voice echoing like a celestial hymn. "The darkness that haunted this family has finally lifted."
Before anyone could speak, a divine shimmer enveloped her. Chandni smiled one last time at the Kotharis — at Gauri, unconscious yet radiant in Vihaan's hold — and then her form dissolved into light, vanishing into the heavens from where she came.
---
A Few Days Later
The mansion was quiet again — peaceful, but heavy with memory.
A garlanded photo of Veer stood at the center of the hall, surrounded by flickering diyas and marigolds. The air smelled faintly of incense and mourning.
Sharda sat before the photo, eyes swollen, tears silently rolling down her cheeks. She hadn't spoken much since the last rites — only silence had been her company.
From the staircase, Gauri descended slowly, dressed in soft white. Seeing Sharda's trembling hands and the framed picture of her lost son, Gauri's heart ached. She approached quietly, kneeling beside her.
"Bade Maa…" Gauri whispered. "I'm so sorry. Veer lost his life because of me. If I hadn't—"
Sharda placed a hand over Gauri's lips, stopping her mid-sentence. Her voice was fragile, yet filled with faith.
"No, beta. Don't burden yourself with that pain. The goddess herself passed judgment. Who are we to question her will?"
Her tears fell harder now, but her tone was gentler — like a mother trying to hold the pieces of her heart together. "Veer was my son, yes… but he chose his path. And the goddess only ended what his sins began."
Just then, Vihaan and Yug stepped forward, each placing a comforting hand on Sharda's shoulders.
"Bade Maa," Yug said softly. "Please don't think you've lost your sons."
Vihaan knelt beside her too, his eyes warm with sincerity.
"You still have us," he said. "We're your sons — not by blood, but by heart."
Sharda looked between them — the two young men her house once divided, now united in front of her — and for the first time in days, a faint, broken smile touched her face.
She placed a hand on each of their heads and said, through her tears,
"Then perhaps… this family truly has been freed from every curse."
The afternoon sun poured gently through the curtains, its golden hue softening the room that had once witnessed storms of rage and sorrow.
Vihaan sat by the window, his gaze lost in the clouds — as if searching for the meaning of peace after so long. His once-red eyes now looked calm, human again. The faint breeze brushed past his face, but his heart felt strangely empty.
Gauri entered quietly, her anklets chiming lightly against the floor. She stopped by the doorway for a moment, watching him — her husband, her savior, her once-demon and now man of peace.
"You're thinking again," she said softly, breaking the silence.
Vihaan turned his head slightly, a faint smile curling at his lips. "I was just wondering… I'm no longer Sarvansh. My powers are gone. Maybe… all our troubles are gone too."
Gauri smiled and walked over to him, her eyes glimmering in the sunlight. "I pray so."
Then, in her teasing tone, she plopped herself onto the sofa dramatically. "So, Mr. Ex-Sarvansh, you're now just an ordinary, weak man."
Vihaan raised an eyebrow, pretending to be offended. "Weak man? Excuse me, Mrs. Kothari — I'm still an ACP, remember?"
Gauri laughed, flicking her hair playfully. "Yes, yes — ACP without magic. Meanwhile, I'm the one with divine powers now. So I can tease you anytime I want… just like you did to me when I didn't even know I had powers."
Vihaan chuckled, leaning back beside her. "Oh, God… if only you knew how many times I used my powers on you back then."
She looked at him, half-curious and half-scolding. "How many?"
He smirked, glancing up at the ceiling as though confessing to a crime. "A lot."
For a moment, both of them just looked at each other — and then burst into laughter.
Their laughter echoed softly across the room, blending with the gentle hum of the afternoon wind. Gauri rested her head on his shoulder while Vihaan's arm slipped around her, pulling her close.
For the first time in forever, there were no curses, no daayans, no wars — only two souls, bound not by fate or magic, but by love.