Yuvaan's folded hands trembled violently:
Vasudev-Devaki nandan, Braj ke Swami Nand ke dulaaran,
Dusht dalan, karuna nidhaan, bhakt janmon ke tum Bhagwaan.
Kiara felt her throat closing as the baby's cloth snagged on a rock for the briefest second and then slipped free again—
Her voice broke:
Shri Madhav… kanj-lochan wale… ghat-ghat vyaapt kripa ke bhandare,
Sharanagat ki laaj rakhaiya… pad-pad par sukh daan karaiya…
Yuvaan whispered the final plea with his forehead touching the sand:
Kripa karo jag ke rakhwaare… ab toh aao Naath humaare…
Rakho laaj janani ki… rakho jeevan iss baalak ka…
Vishnu… Hari… Govind… sun lo…
The last word left their lips—
And the storm paused.
A silence fell so heavy it vibrated through the air.
The water calmed into a shimmering stillness.
Kiara's breath caught.
Yuvaan lifted his head slowly, hardly daring to blink.
Golden light bloomed beneath the surface.
Like the sea had opened its eyes.
The water spiraled outward—
perfect circles of radiance—
as a massive shadow rose from the depths.
A shape older than time.
A presence felt long before it was seen.
Then—
The hood emerged.
Huge.
Majestic.
Crowned with cosmic glow.
Sheshnaag
His scales shimmered like molten gold.
His eyes burned with ancient fire.
The ocean bowed beneath his weight as if recognizing its master.
Kiara's heartbeat stopped.
Her tears came harder.
Yuvaan's fingers curled into trembling fists of gratitude.
Sheshnaag's enormous tail lifted from the water—
gentle, divine—
and curved upward beneath the floating baby.
With infinite tenderness, it wrapped around the child… shielding him… lifting him.
Kiara pressed her shaking hands to her lips.
A broken sob escaped her.
Yuvaan's vision blurred with tears.
The serpent lowered the baby—slowly, like a blessing descending—
until the tiny boy touched Kiara's arms once more.
Kiara cried out—a cry not of pain, but of overwhelming relief.
She pressed her forehead to her son's, kissing his soft skin again and again.
"Thank you… thank you… oh God, my baby… my little one… you're safe… you're safe…"
Yuvaan wrapped his arms around both of them from behind, resting his forehead against Kiara's hair.
His breath hitched.
His voice shook.
"Thank you, Prabhu… thank you… for giving us our son back…"
The baby opened his eyes—
dark, soft, glowing faintly with a divine spark.
Kiara's breath caught.
Yuvaan's chest cracked open with awe.
Together, through tears, they whispered:
"Hari Om…"
Sheshnaag dipped his hood once—
a majestic, silent acknowledgment—
before sliding back into the golden sea.
As the waters dimmed to their natural blue, the storm faded.
Leaving behind—
A mother clutching her newborn.
A father holding them both.
And a miracle cradled between them.
---
Yuvaan and Kiara sat together on the quiet stretch of shore, their newborn resting peacefully in Kiara's arms. The canoe the family would use was still far behind—they were alone for the moment, wrapped in a fragile bubble of calm.
Kiara traced the baby's tiny fingers, her voice soft and trembling.
"Look at him, Yuvaan… he's so perfect. I can't tell who he takes after more."
Yuvaan leaned closer, smiling despite the exhaustion in his eyes.
"He's definitely got your eyes. But that little frown? That's one hundred percent me."
Kiara let out a breathy laugh, leaning against his shoulder.
"He already looks so curious about the world… like he wants to understand everything."
Yuvaan nodded. "He's going to be strong. Smarter than both of us combined."
For a moment, they simply held each other, the baby safe between them.
Then—
A chill crawled across Kiara's spine.
The air darkened.
A shadow twisted into shape behind them, forming a thick, swirling cloud.
Mohana emerged from it with a slow, venomous grace.
"Well, well," she purred. "Such a tender little moment. But I must say—your baby doesn't look like either of you."
Kiara froze, her grip tightening around the child.
"What the hell do you want?"
Mohana smirked. "Relax. I'm only stating a fact. The child doesn't resemble the two of you because…"
She leaned forward, eyes glowing with cruel delight.
"…he looks exactly like what he's meant to be."
Yuvaan stepped in front of Kiara protectively. "Don't start your nonsense."
"Oh, it's not nonsense."
Mohana tilted her head, savoring the moment.
"He looks like a sacrifice."
Kiara's breath caught. "Shut up, Mohana."
"Did I touch a nerve?" Mohana laughed. "A child born under an omen rarely lives a full life. But don't worry—"
She gave a slow, sinister smile.
"His end will be meaningful. For me."
Yuvaan's fists clenched. "If you come one inch closer—"
Mohana's eyes flickered with amusement.
"Oh, don't worry, Yuvaan. I have all the time in the world… and the shadows to guide me."
The dark cloud swirled tighter around her, hungry and alive.
Mohana's gaze shifted to the baby again, slow and predatory.
"Enjoy these precious moments," she crooned. "Hold him close… breathe him in… because I will take him. Sooner than you think."
Kiara's jaw tightened, fear flickering into fury.
"You'll never touch him."
Yuvaan reached for Kiara's hand, threading his fingers with hers.
"She's not taking our child," he whispered, steady and unshaken.
"We'll stop her… no matter what it takes."
Mohana chuckled—low, cold, mocking.
"How very dramatic," she purred. "But I love a challenge."
She slowly raised one hand, palm open.
The air turned rancid.
The sand beneath their feet began to quiver… crack… split.
Rotting fingers pushed through first.
Then arms.
Then bodies.
A swarm of zombies clawed their way out of the earth, seawater dripping from their decayed limbs, eyes glowing with Mohana's black magic.
Kiara staggered back, clutching the baby to her chest.
"What—what did you do?!"
Mohana smirked, extending her hand outward in an elegant, sideways sweep.
"Children need guardians, don't they?" she cooed.
"These… are yours for the evening."
The zombies stood, forming a crooked circle, their heads tilting toward Yuvaan and Kiara with hungry intent.
Mohana's voice darkened.
"Kill them both," she ordered, her lips curling.
"But the baby…"
Her eyes glinted.
"…leave him untouched. I'll be claiming him myself."
The zombies lurched forward in unison.
Yuvaan stepped in front of Kiara, eyes blazing with protective rage.
"Kiara—run when I say. I'll hold them off."
"No," she whispered fiercely. "We do this together."
Their fingers tightened around each other's—one last vow.
And the undead army closed in.