The echoes of Betalini's scream still rang in the air, the walls trembling as the chandeliers swayed violently above. Gauri lay sprawled on the cold marble floor, blood trickling from a wound on her arm. Veena and Sharda called out desperately for her, while Yug's fists clenched in helpless fury.
Betalini smirked, striding toward Gauri, her taloned feet scraping against the stone. "Pathetic," she hissed. "This is the woman who dares to stand against me?"
But before the demoness could strike, Gauri's fingers pressed against the floor, pushing herself upright. Her body trembled, her breaths came ragged, but her eyes burned with unyielding fire.
"I will never…" Gauri's voice cracked, then steadied into a roar, "…back down! Not while Vihaan is mine to save!"
And with that cry, she broke into a run, charging toward Betalini with reckless determination.
"YUG!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Without hesitation, Yug pulled the glowing cloth from within his jacket, his heart pounding. "Bhabhi, catch!" he yelled, flinging it with all his strength.
The sacred fabric soared through the air, shimmering like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
Gauri leapt, catching it midair with a warrior's grace. The momentum carried her forward, and in a sudden burst of daring, she vaulted into a front flip—her figure slicing through the smoky darkness. Gasps erupted from the family as she soared above Betalini's head, her body twisting like a flame dancing in the wind.
She landed behind the demoness, fluid and fierce. In one swift motion, she snapped the cloth around Betalini's mouth.
The effect was immediate. Betalini shrieked, but the sound was choked and silenced by the sacred binding. Her eyes widened in horror as smoke hissed from her lips, the cloth burning against her skin with divine energy. She clawed desperately at it, but the more she pulled, the more it seared her flesh.
The Kotharis stared in awe, stunned into silence.
"No…" Betalini's muffled voice rasped through the burning fabric, her face twisting in pain. "Impossible! A mere human girl—!"
But her cries fell flat, swallowed by the sacred binding.
Vihaan's jaw tightened as he rose slowly from his throne, his blood-red eyes flickering with an emotion he couldn't name while his gaze lingered on Gauri.
Betalini thrashed wildly, her clawed hands clawing at the sacred cloth as muffled screeches filled the hall. The family, emboldened by Gauri's daring strike, moved as one. Yug's voice rang out, fierce and determined.
"Now! Don't waste this chance!"
Each member of the Kothari family raised their vials of holy water, their trembling hands suddenly steady with newfound courage. The shimmering liquid caught the dim light of the chandeliers, glowing like droplets of the divine.
Betalini's eyes widened in dread as she spun, realizing the circle had closed around her.
"Surround her!" Gauri commanded, her voice echoing with strength far beyond her wounds. She lifted her hands high, calling upon the strength of the goddess within her.
"Jai Devi Maa!"
The cry ripped through the hall like thunder.
"JAI DEVI MAA!" the family echoed, their voices overlapping into one powerful chorus.
In perfect unison, they tilted the vials, pouring the holy water upon Betalini.
The effect was instant. Steam erupted as the first drops struck her skin, followed by ear-splitting screams. Her body convulsed violently as the sacred liquid burned through her demonic essence. Flames burst across her form, consuming her like dry tinder. She staggered, choking on her own muffled shrieks, as black smoke poured from her body.
"No! I will not be destroyed by you worthless mortals!" she tried to roar, but the sacred cloth silenced her agony.
Within moments, her body crumbled into ash, scattering across the floor in a cloud of burnt shadow.
For a heartbeat, silence reigned. The family stared, breathless, hardly able to believe what they had done.
But the silence shattered with a roar.
"ENOUGH!"
Vihaan's voice shook the walls, reverberating like a storm. His blood-red eyes blazed with fury as he rose, his aura exploding with raw darkness. With a single wave of his hand, an unseen force slammed through the hall like a crashing wave.
One by one, the family was hurled backward, their bodies striking the marble with thuds of pain. Veena cried out, clutching her chest as she fell. Yug skidded across the floor, wincing as his shoulder struck a pillar. Even Gauri stumbled, barely catching herself before collapsing.
Vihaan's gaze locked on her, his rage unmasked. "You dare," he hissed, his voice trembling with both anger and something far deeper. "You dare to destroy what is mine?"
The family lay scattered across the marble floor, groaning from the force of Vihaan's dark magic. His eyes glowed like molten embers, the air around him crackling with raw, oppressive energy. Darkness bled from his very presence, suffocating the hall.
Yet through the swirling chaos, Gauri pushed herself up. Her palms burned from the fall, her body ached from Betalini's attack, but her resolve shone brighter than the pain. Slowly, she stepped forward until she stood between Vihaan and the battered Kotharis, shielding them with nothing but her fragile frame.
"Enough, Vihaan," she said, her voice trembling yet unyielding. "If you want to unleash your fury, then face me. I won't let you harm them."
Vihaan's gaze narrowed, his lips curling into a sharp smile. "You think because you managed to destroy Betalini, you can stand in the way of Sarvansh?" His voice dripped with contempt as he raised his hand, dark flames sparking at his fingertips. "Do not mistake luck for strength. I am darkness itself. I am Sarvansh reborn!"
His declaration echoed, shaking the chandeliers above. The family cowered, fear clenching their throats.
But Gauri's eyes didn't waver. She took a step closer, her voice steady. "In terms of power, I stand nowhere near you. I cannot match your strength, Vihaan. I cannot match your darkness."
Her words hung in the air, shocking everyone. Even Vihaan faltered, his fiery aura flickering for a heartbeat.
Then she lifted her chin, her tone firm, her courage blazing. "That is why I will not fight you… and still, I will defeat you."
A dark laugh burst from Vihaan's throat. He tilted his head back, his voice reverberating like thunder across the haunted hall. "Defeat me without fighting?" His eyes locked onto hers, sharp and unreadable. "I see. Very well, Gauri. Let us see who is truly defeated."
He stepped forward, his shadow crawling like a beast across the floor, reaching for her feet as if to drag her under.