While the elders had sworn their vows beneath the stars, another gathering formed in the quieter corner of the ancestral courtyard. This was the circle of the younger ones—the siblings and cousins who had grown up with Mukul's laughter echoing in their ears, who had played with him, guarded him, and dreamed with him. Their grief was no less sharp, their resolve no less fierce.
At the center stood Anand Sharma, Mukul's elder brother, barely fifteen yet carrying the aura of a seasoned warrior. His jaw was set, his fists trembling with fury. He looked at the others, then to the flickering flame in the family shrine.
"He is my brother," Anand declared, his voice unshakable. "By my blood and my strength, I vow I will not rest until Mukul returns. If the world calls me mercenary, if it calls me rebel, let it be so. I will carve a path through enemies, shadows, and lies to bring him home. I will create power, armies, and networks if I must—but Mukul will not be alone."
His words were not those of a child. They were the oath of a future legend.
Beside him, Kavya Sharma, only thirteen, wiped her tears with steady hands. She was the sister who had often cradled Mukul, taught him stories, and shielded him from mischief. To her, he was more than a brother—he was her child, her responsibility.
"I am his second mother," Kavya whispered, but her whisper carried the weight of iron. "By every tear I shed for him tonight, I swear I will not break. If fate tries to bury him, I will dig him free. If destiny seeks to scatter him, I will gather him whole. I will never stop searching—not as long as I breathe."
The cousins, inspired, stepped forward one by one.
Arjun Sharma, son of Rajendra, placed his palm against Anand's. "By the courage of a soldier's blood that runs in me, I vow Mukul will return. If Anand fights the shadows, I will fight at his side."
His twin sister, Ananya Sharma, added firmly, "By the bond of siblings, I vow to seek every trail, every clue. No deception can blind me. Mukul will always find me waiting."
The voices of the next generation of Yadavs rose, steady and resolute.
Ayaan Yadav, Priya's nephew, spoke with his father's calm precision. "By my name and honor, I vow to sharpen myself until I am strong enough to defend Mukul when he comes back. He will never be unguarded again."
His twin sister, Aarohi Yadav, echoed him. "By my wit and words, I vow to break the lies and walls that hide him. Wherever he is, I will hear his voice and call him back."
From the other branch of the family, Rishi Singh, eldest of Anamika Yadav's triplets, clenched his jaw. "By justice, I vow to be his shield." His sisters, Riya and Ritika, stood close, their voices in unison: "By compassion and by courage, we vow he will never walk alone, no matter how far fate throws him."
The younger triplets of Rajendra's daughters too stepped forward. Kabir, Karan, and Kunal Malhotra—barely older than Mukul—pressed their small fists together. Their vow was childish yet powerful: "By our games, by our secrets, by our love, Mukul is ours. We will find him."
Even those too young to speak understood the weight of the moment. They stood close, eyes wide, watching the flames and the vows being made.
When the last oath was spoken, Anand drew a line of ash across his forehead, then marked Kavya's and each cousin's brow. "We are bound now," he said solemnly. "If the world thinks only the elders search, let it be so. But we—the next generation—will train, fight, and grow until we are strong enough to find Mukul ourselves."
The cousins lowered their heads together, their circle unbroken.
Above them, the stars glittered. The constellation of seven points—the same shape as Mukul's birthmark—seemed to burn brighter that night.
It was a sign. Their vows had been heard.
And though Mukul lay unconscious on a distant, unknown island, he was no longer just a lost child. He was the heart of two dynasties. A boy every elder, every sibling, every cousin had sworn to protect.
The search had begun—not only in the shadows of power but in the hearts of the young, whose vows would one day shake the world.