A heavy tension hung over the court of the Junagarh palace today. As soon as the first light of dawn broke, the guards, by Aditya's command, dragged Subarnalata and her father, Subarnakumar, into the royal assembly. Even then, they displayed arrogance, hiding behind their enchanting forms and noble pretenses. Sushila (Subarnalata) began to scream, "Aditya! What is this incivility? I am your better half, the Queen of this realm! Why did your guards bring me here in such an insulting manner? Have you lost your mind?"
Shilajit (Subarnakumar), trembling as he adjusted his royal attire, said, "Maharaja! We are your close relatives; why are we being treated like thieves and dacoits? Have you all lost your sense of right and wrong?"
Aditya stood before the throne like a stone statue. His eyes burned with rage and loathing. He stepped slowly toward Sushila. His voice sounded ice-cold as he spoke, "Stop the act, Subarnalata. Or rather, it's better to call you Sushila—and this cunning man is that ghoul of a minister, Shilajit! Did you think the game of your witch's potion would last forever? Did you think no one would ever know the ugly truth of that hour between midnight and one? Last night, we saw your hideous forms with our own eyes. we only staged a drama to catch you red-handed."
The faces of Sushila and Shilajit turned pale in an instant. Yet, in a final desperate attempt, they said, "It's all lies! You've seen an illusion! Someone has misled you out of jealousy for our beauty!"
At that moment, the Queen Mother of Kanchangarh stepped forward. She removed the velvet cloth and held the magic mirror before everyone. She said, "You want proof? Here is the magic mirror. Today, before everyone in Junagarh, your misdeeds will unfold like a video." A bright light radiated from the magic mirror, and that hideous scene from last night projected largely upon the wall—showing how Sushila and Shilajit, with their rotting skin and grotesque faces, were pulling each other's hair and speaking foully about the royal family.
A roar of condemnation erupted throughout the court. Aditya then stepped forward and exploded in front of everyone. He shouted, "I knew it! I had investigated and found out a while ago that the letter in Arohi's name was a forgery. Shilajit and his gang forged that handwriting so that I would cast Arohi out. I was suffering from guilt, dying bit by bit for Arohi. But I couldn't even imagine that the beauty I brought into my home in Arohi's place was actually that devil Shilajit's daughter, Sushila! I loathe myself for giving a poisonous snake a place in my bedchamber!"
Sushila could no longer act. She slumped to the floor, laughing hysterically in despair, "Yes! I am Sushila! I did everything! You've already killed Arohi, so what will you get by killing me now?"
Aditya let out a thunderous roar, "Silence, you ghoul! Guards, imprison these two traitors this instant! Maharaja, give them a punishment that the world will remember." The Maharaja groaned and said, "Throw them into the dark dungeon. And tell the royal physician to prepare an antidote that ensures their hideous forms never change again. Let them live their lives carrying that grotesque appearance, gathering the hatred of mankind."
As the guards dragged Sushila and Shilajit away, they were screaming like lunatics. Aditya knelt in the middle of the court. His eyes were streaming like the monsoon rains. He began to whisper, "Arohi... today I have delivered justice for the wrongs done to you, but I have lost you! Forgive me, Arohi, forgive me!" The entire court fell silent. Arohi (Snigdha) wiped her tears as she watched the scene from the shadows. A major step in her revenge was fulfilled today. As Aditya sat on the floor of the royal court, wailing Arohi's name, the maid Snigdha stepped forward from a corner of the crowd. Though there were tears in her eyes, her face held a divine serenity. She walked with steady steps and stood before the Maharaja and Aditya. Amidst the echoes of sobbing in the court, her calm voice rang out—
"Maharaja! Rajmata! Please, do not break down like this. The time to repent for one's mistakes has not yet passed. Arohi is not dead; Arohi is still alive among you!"
Aditya raised his head with blurred vision, a lump of grief stuck in his throat. He whispered faintly, "What are you saying, Snigdha? How can Arohi be alive? Last night, we saw her turn to ash at the cremation ground with our own eyes! I built her funeral pyre with my own hands! Why are you killing me bit by bit by giving me false hope again?"
Snigdha smiled—a pale but merciful smile. She then removed the common maid's wrap from her shoulders in front of everyone. Her complexion and her gait seemed to transform in an instant. Using a flash of light from the magic mirror, she wiped away the layers of makeup and disguise from her face. Within moments, the common maid Snigdha vanished before everyone's eyes, and in her place stood the true Queen of Junagarh, Aditya's beloved Arohi!
The entire royal court fell silent. The Maharaja and the Rajmata stood up from their chairs. Aditya couldn't even blink; he felt as if he was seeing a dream. He stood up, staggering, and reached out his hand toward Arohi, but he was afraid to touch her—fearing the illusion might break!
Arohi extended both arms and pulled Aditya into an embrace. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. She sobbed, "I am your Arohi, Aditya! I didn't die. The body you burned yesterday was merely a doll created by the magic mirror. For four years, I have worked in this palace right before your eyes, disguised as a maid. I was only waiting for your trust to return. I wanted you to unmask these devils yourself."
Aditya hid his face against Arohi's chest and began to cry like a child. He repeatedly said, "Forgive me, Arohi! I am a beast; I failed to recognize you. I insulted you so deeply by giving another woman a place in my bedchamber! Why did you let me live? Why didn't you kill me?"
Wiping Aditya's tears, Arohi said, "The fault is not yours, Aditya. Shilajit and Sushila played with our lives. They wanted us to hate each other. But today, truth has triumphed. Look, our Maharaja, our Rajmata—everyone has finally learned the truth."
The Maharaja and the Rajmata rushed forward and pulled Arohi into an embrace. The Rajmata kissed Arohi's forehead and said, "Daughter Arohi, forgive us. In our attempt to uphold royal duty, we failed to recognize the Lakshmi of our own home. You served us for these four years, protecting our family—we can never repay this debt."
Taking Arohi's hands in his, Aditya stood in the middle of the court and announced, "From today, Arohi is the one and only Queen of this Junagarh palace. And as for those devils, Sushila and Shilajit, they shall be given a punishment that will make even venomous serpents tremble with fear."
The subjects present in the royal court broke into cheers of joy— "Victory to Queen Arohi! Victory to Truth!" While Arohi stood smiling beside Aditya, little Prabhasha was standing in a corner of the court. Arohi signaled her to come closer. Little Prabhasha didn't quite understand what was happening, but she stared in wonder at her beloved 'Snigdha Pishi' in this new form. Arohi picked her up and said, "From today, I am your mother, you silly girl!"
The dark clouds in Aditya's mind seemed to clear forever today. That long, cursed night of four years finally ended, and the light of a new dawn brightened the Junagarh palace. Arohi thought to herself, "The greatest gift of my life is yet to come. Only one more month, and when my twin children return to this palace, my family will finally be complete."